


Broken

by moralegirl



Category: Loki - Fandom, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Banter, Blow Jobs, Cunnilingus, Developing Relationship, Difficult Decisions, Eventual Smut, Exes, F/M, Flirting, Frigga Knows All (Marvel), Healing, Intimacy, Jotunn Loki (Marvel), King Thor (Marvel), Natasha Romanov Is a Good Bro, Protective Loki (Marvel), Romance, Semi-Public Sex, Sweet Loki (Marvel), Teasing, Tony Stark Is a Good Bro, Vaginal Fingering, Vaginal Sex
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-10
Updated: 2020-11-03
Packaged: 2021-01-27 08:47:55
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 19
Words: 63,861
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21389389
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/moralegirl/pseuds/moralegirl
Summary: While working with the Avengers, Loki sets his sights upon one of Tony Stark's army of lawyers. Although she's everything he likes and more, he soon learns that their similarities go beyond their sharp wit and intelligence. Unlike the many times he's been emotionally unavailable to someone, this time it's Loki who must break through her impenetrable emotional wall and convince her to trust him enough to fall in love again.
Relationships: Loki (Marvel)/Original Female Character(s), Loki (Marvel)/Reader
Comments: 51
Kudos: 227





	1. Thor, Who Is That?

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by "Broken" by Depeche Mode.

He was standing next to a seated Thor in one of the labs in Stark Tower, listening to Banner discuss a new weapon when he spotted her. She was tall, slender, and deliciously curvaceous in all the right places, with glowing auburn hair and fair skin. Her hips were fairly broad, the sort of broad that would have caused his mother to look over to him and quirk an eyebrow suggestively. As if she was still there with him, Loki cracked a smile as he thought of Frigga and the way she’d likely be amused at the moment.

“…so this should work. If you get the feeling that you’re surrounded and unable to escape, just press this button and a pulse should be sent out around you which will…”

Loki heard the words that Banner was saying to Thor, but couldn’t focus. The woman, clad in her form-fitting navy dress and heels, was busy talking to Stark on the other side of the room. The fabric fit so perfectly over her figure; her full bosom and hips were contrasted with her smaller waist, the hourglass shape of her drawing his attention.

“…and if you need a little boost, you can just shove this into the ground and then…”

Even though she was dressed professionally, something about her almost cried out to Loki as he stood on the other side of the room. He repeatedly glanced in her direction between semi-conscious nods and hums geared toward Banner and Thor. Her hips wiggled in an unintentionally seductive way when she walked away from Stark, the motion causing Loki’s eyes to focus on her bottom as she strutted in the opposite direction. He licked his lower lip as the sound of her heels on the floor grew fainter.

“LOKI!!”

“Hmm?” he hummed, finally hearing Thor over the rhythm of her hips that still resonated in his mind.

Thor glanced along Loki’s sight line and smiled slightly, seeing what had captured his brother’s attention. “Tony Stark fears precisely two people, brother,” he explained to Loki as he gripped his shoulder and turned him back toward Banner’s device, “Pepper and _that woman_.”

“Who?” Banner said, looking up and past Thor’s shoulder. “Ohh…” he said quietly as he spotted her just before she stepped into an elevator with Tony. “Yeah, she’s… well… Tony calls her various evil things - when there’s no chance she’s going to hear him, of course.”

“Clearly a formidable woman,” Loki commented, his attention finally shifting to the other two men. “I like that,” he added, a slight smirk crossing his face.

The three of them became engrossed in Banner’s weapon and the ongoing threat from a group of right-wing nationalist terrorists that seemed to be on the cusp of letting their hate spread into a violent campaign against anyone in their path. Eventually, Tony joined them, looking somewhat more bewildered than he had when he’d left in the elevator earlier with the woman.

“You alright?” Banner asked as Stark ran his hand over his face and groaned. “We got it to work, by the way.”

Tony nodded. “Maleficent is doing her best to block the deal.”

Loki crossed his arms over his chest and quirked an eyebrow. “Who?”

Thor and Banner exchanged knowing looks as Stark put his hands on the work bench and leaned against it. “Alexandra Atherton, head of the company’s commercial legal team.” He paused, looked at Loki, then chuckled and smacked Loki’s shoulder before walking away. “Actually, Rock of Ages, you’d probably get along famously with the evil queen.”

“NO!” Bruce and Thor nearly shouted, garnering Stark’s attention and an annoyed look from Loki. They turned toward each other with questioning looks.

“Does somebody have a little something for the ice princess?”Stark asked tauntingly as he looked between the two. “Nah, I know you guys. Bruce’s engine only seems to rev for a certain redhead and Thor…” He suddenly put the blond man into a playful headlock. “You’re such a goddamn golden retriever that you’d even protect _her_ from Reindeer Games.”

“Yes, yes, you are correct,” Thor said, trying to appease Stark while refraining from giving Loki more information about her.“I am simply helping hold up your corporate ban on fraternization.”

Stark let go of Thor and grinned. “Well, then, I’m off to drink some ridiculously expensive champagne with my even more ridiculously attractive CEO. Don’t wait up, kids!”

The three remained silent until Tony was out of earshot. “It is a rarity for you to lie, brother…” Loki said quietly to Thor.

“Hey, I’m gonna… there’s a… later!” Banner said, awkwardly excusing himself from the discussion.

Thor winced, thinking of a way to get out of the situation. “Loki, I speak to you as your brother, as someone who cares for your wellbeing and would not want you to make a needless mistake.”

Loki raised an eyebrow. It was obvious that Thor was being sincere, but it was also clear that he was still attempting to obfuscate and distract. It, of course, only made Loki more curious about what Thor knew, how he knew it, and why he was hiding it. “The mistake being, dear brother?”

“The mistake would be attempting to court Miss Atherton,” Thor answered as he rose from his seat and practically scurried toward the door. The last thing he wanted was to have Loki interrogating him on the issue.

Knowing that he would get no more from Thor at the moment and Banner had disappeared, Loki headed down the hallway to the elevators, intent on going to his own apartment for the evening. As he stood in front of the mirrored doors, they opened to reveal… her.

“Going down?” she asked, a file tucked under her arm and her hands texting away on her phone.

Loki kept his smirk to himself at her words and entered the cabin. “Yes.” He hit a floor just above the one she selected and stepped next to her, slightly too close for normal interactions. The doors closed. “I don’t believe we’ve had the pleasure of meeting,” he said, his voice as smooth as silk as he took her hand in his, “I am Prince Loki of Asgard.” Just as he was about to bring her hand to his lips, she altered the grip and shook his hand in a dispassionate, professional manner.

“Alexandra Atherton,” she said as she tapped out yet another email. “I try to prevent Tony from selling the farm, so to speak.” She paused, tapped out another message, then looked over to Loki. “I assume you’re one of the people who try to keep him from buying it.”

Unfamiliar with the idiom, but realizing that she obviously knew of the Avengers, he nodded and smiled just a bit. “Something like that…” He made a mental note to research farm-related transactions when he returned to his quarters. She cracked a half-smile at him, then went back to her business.

“I helped Tony get the Stark Medical Scanner to clinics around the globe,” she said as she tapped another message. “What have you done?”

He glanced to her nonplussed facade for a moment. “I destroyed large portions of Manhattan and _‘helped’ _Tony pull his head from his ass, as I believe Midgardians say it.”He smirked as the words caught her attention.

“So you’re a _bad boy_, hmm?” she hummed, touching his chin as the elevator arrived at the floor he’d selected. “I think it’s time for you to get off.”

Loki held back the hiss and groan that her words and touch made him feel. “I suppose it is. Enjoy your evening… counselor,” he said, somewhat darkly yet with the intention of arousing her as much as possible.He watched as she waved dismissively, still engrossed in her blasted device as he stood on a wholly unfamiliar floor of the tower. He quietly growled to himself, realizing that she’d bested him in wordplay. He hit the up button again and waited for another lift to arrive.

She was infuriating. He’d never met a woman so resistant to his charms. Refusing a gallant kiss of her hand? Barely making eye contact with him while she deemed her damn device more important than him? That last remark… _AGH!_ His fist hit the door of the elevator before it opened again. How dare she! Not only did she seem to accept him at face value, she taunted him and made a sexual suggestion of it!

He retreated to his apartment, intent on opening a bottle of Asgardian wine and forgetting the encounter. A note was on the counter in his kitchen when he arrived.

* * *

_Brother, do not forget the gala tomorrow. Natasha will collect you here at seven._

* * *

Loki smirked at the thought. He’d managed to forget all about the Stark Industries charity gala that everyone was compelled to attend. It would serve as quite the appropriate forum for him to approach Alexandra for a rematch. He spent the evening creating the perfect suit for the occasion and researching those farm transactions she had alluded to earlier… until he realized she had bested him again.He groaned and swore he’d seek his revenge in the most delicious of ways.


	2. Flirting With Another

“You are late, Widow,” he said as he leaned against the wall outside his quarters, watching the much smaller woman walk toward him.

She internally groaned and held back an eye roll, but she did take his arm when he offered it to her. “It takes time to look this good. I don’t have magic to help it go faster.”

Loki surveyed her as she stood next to him in front of the elevator. She wore a long, slinky black dress that left little to the imagination and the slit all the way up one of her thighs gave a rather tantalizing view. “You have certainly accomplished your mission, Natasha,” he commented, allowing her to walk into the elevator when it opened.

“Was that a compliment?” she said with a bit of a sarcastic grin. When his shoulders hinted at a shrug and his eyes stopped their usual pointed stare, she let out a laugh. “Nice jacket, by the way, James Bond,” she added, smoothing her hand down one lapel. “It’s actually _not_ black and green. Color me impressed.”

“Thank you,” he responded. “It’s something I threw together.”

The doors opened and they both took a breath before putting on their party faces and stepped out. “Who are you trying to impress?” she quietly asked as she took his arm again, leaving plenty of distance between them to keep it explicitly friendly. She glanced around the room, automatically checking for exits and surveying the crowd.

He chuckled softly. “Perhaps it’s you…” he said smoothly as he glanced over to her, suggestively raising an eyebrow.

“Lucky me,” she muttered in Russian under her breath before smiling up at him. “Vodka?”

“Believe me, you would be _quite_ lucky to fall into my bed,” he commented, letting her lead the way to the bar. While walking through the crowd, he eyes searched to find Alexandra and finally spied her standing and laughing with none other than Captain Rogers.

Natasha brushed off his comment and ordered their drinks, catching his previously calm gaze as it turned to ice. She traced his stare across the room to the tall redhead wearing a slim golddress that was playfully swatting Steve’s arm. Picking up their shots from the bar, she handed one over to him. “I think you’re the one who is going to need some luck today, lover boy. That right there is the most I’ve seen her touch _any_ man at one of these events.”

Loki noticed Natasha nearly eye-fuck a blonde woman across the room and smirked, lifting his shot glass toward her. “Za nashikh milikh dam,” he said with a smirk before downing the cold liquid, enjoying the surprised look on Widow’s face after she finished her shot as well.

“Ah, that’s right… Thor mentioned ‘All-speak’ before.” She paused and looked him over, reaching out to smooth a few strands of hair that had fallen out of his usually perfect positioning. “If you’re going to try to get a girl away from Cap, your best shot is probably dancing with her. You’ve got him beat, hands down.” 

With another smile and wink, she left him and moved through the crowd toward her own pursuit for the evening. Although she’d never admit it to the group beyond Thor, Loki had grown on her over time and they had a surprisingly easy rapport once she won him over as well.

Loki gazed across the room again and saw the soldier hold his arm out to Alexandra as another song began. Stark had opted for a live band, so the music was a mix of classical, jazz, pop standards, and whatever else they seemed to fit into their repertoire. He was silently grateful that they weren’t the last party’s entertainment; he winced as he remembered the obnoxious sounds of that night.

His eyes fixated on the couple as they joined the dance floor. Steve’s ‘old-fashioned’ manners meant that his hands did not stray from acceptable areas and there was nearly enough space between them for another person to stand. They carried on a conversation as they swayed.Loki didn’t get a good look at her face due to her standing with her back to him, but the look on Steve’s was grinning with enthusiasm and desire.Just as Loki was about to stroll over, Thor’s giant paw slapped down on his shoulder.

“Brother! It is good to see you here, but where is Nat?” the blond man said in his jovial tone, clad in a blue suit that appeared a bit tight.

Without drawing any attention, Loki fixed Thor’s suit with a bit of seidr before answering. “She departed once she found her target,” he said calmly, nodding toward her direction. It was rare that Thor was lewd, but the grin on his face was as close to lecherous as he could probably be in public. Loki tried not to laugh at his brother’s momentary lapse into their late adolescence, when they’d ogle girls and tell tales of stolen kisses and wandering hands in dark corners during their “exploits,” as they were at the time.

“Do you remember-“ Thor started, pausing to take a gulp of his beer, “Do you remember when I walked in on you and the two young ladies to the Vanir Queen during their visit?”

“I haven’t the faintest idea what you’re talking about, brother,” he replied with a smirk before returning his eyes to the gilded beauty who was stepping away from Steve.“I was merely assisting them with their corsets.”

Thor laughed and shook his head. “If assisting means taking them off, then yes, you were.” He took another drink as Loki grabbed a glass of the champagne that was being passed around. They tapped their glasses and shared an unspoken toast before drinking, one that didn’t need to be said but had been had by them many times over the years. “I’d never been prouder.”

They both laughed a bit more before Tony sidled up to them, already having partaken of a large measure of alcohol. “Stark,” Loki nodded, sipping his drink.

“Sith Lord! You’re just the guy I was looking for!” he said, tugging him away from Thor, who waved as Loki looked back at him from what he was sure would be considered attempted torture. “Come with me…”

“Where are we going?” Loki questioned, watching as Tony set an empty glass on one passing tray before picking up fresh glass from a different one.He followed the man through the crowd, realizing that they were moving closer to where Alexandra now stood talking with Steve and Clint.

“I’m gonna do you a favor,wallflower,” Tony said as he winked.

Loki mentally braced himself for what was sure to be embarrassing, disastrous, or embarrassingly disastrous.

Stark walked up to the group, arms cast wide open and voice raised in an over the top greeting. “Don’t hog this lovely woman all to yourselves over here, guys!” he said as he briefly side-hugged Alexandra.

“How many of those have you had?” she asked him, not noticing Loki lingering a few feet behind.

“I’m fine, I’m fine,” he waved off, taking a last sip before depositing it with another waiter. “I’m more worried about you, dear. You look bored to tears by these two.” He nodded toward Cap and Clint, the latter of whom chuckled while the former clenched his jaw.

“We’ve been discussing-“ she started, only to have Tony cut her off.

“As your boss, I can definitely say that you do not have enough fun,” he explained, turning her around. “Which is why I’d like you to meet-“

“Prince Loki of Asgard,” she finished for him, offering her hand in that same professional way she forced before. “I believe we’ve met.”

Loki was having _none _of that. “Miss Atherton,” he said as he moved confidently to bring her hand to his lips. He then turned it over and whispered a second over the inside of her wrist. “It has been too long, Alexandra.”She hadn’t pulled her hand away and he could see that his surprise action had captured her attention.

Tony glanced between them, but before he could comment he spotted Thor and Banner starting to move in their direction. “You kids have fun,” he said as he walked off to meet the others before they could join the group. “Point Break! I got just the thing for ya…”

Loki watched as Alexandra grated at the nickname and gave Tony a glare as he walked away. With Cap and Clint only a few feet away and ready to bore her again, Loki continued holding on to her hand and silently drew her toward the dance floor. Luckily, the band had just started playing a slower jazz number that was still quite danceable.“May I?” he asked before putting his hands anywhere else on her.

“Yes,” she answered, surprised that he’d ask. Even Steve hadn’t asked if she would _allow _him to touch her. She audibly but softly gasped as she felt the featherlight touch of his fingertips on the small of her back, the gentle caress of his palm following shortly after. She couldn’t remember the last time someone had touched her in such an intimate way. When she let her eyes meet his, it was as if she saw a brief flash of something that left her thinking that he had felt something similar.

“Closer…” Loki whispered as he drew her near, guiding her by the obviously sensitive area where his hand was now resting. He had heard her breath catch again as he dared to smooth his thumb up and down her skin to enjoy the sensation. The music soon took on a slow, sensual melody that left space for some flourishes. Careful not to take too large of steps, he began to leadher in time with the music.

Alexandra was relieved that he obviously knew how to dance, as she was not a born dancer. It wasn’t that she lacked rhythm or couldn’t move well, it was more that she was too shy to put herself on display. By contrast, the Prince obviously did not care who saw him on the dance floor. “You’re very graceful,” she said, leaning closer to his ear so that he would hear her over the band and the crowd.

Loki smiled slightly, allowing her to draw her head back before he answered. “Centuries of practice,” he said with a flirtatious wink, watching as she smiled. As the music transitioned from one section of the song to another, Loki took the change in rhythm and turned it into an opportunity to gently twirl and briefly dip the woman in his arms, his hand sneakily sliding from supporting her back above her waist as he returned them to their prior rhythm. The move allowed his fingers to trail down her spine before coming to rest at the small of her back again.

“This dress suits you perfectly,” he whispered, leaning to her ear.

She was sure that every single hair on her body was standing from the chill that the erotic caress had caused to surge through her. As he held her left hand, she let her right rest on his chest and smooth over the black lapel of his white jacket. Giving herself a moment to really take him in, she could feel the blush on her cheeks. “Thank you, Prince Loki,” she responded, watching his eyes flicker with amusement.

“Please, darling,” he said, playfully dipping her again as the music changed, “Call me Loki.”

_He winks. He compliments. He dips and twirls and makes this feel effortless… _“Alright… Loki,” she responded, looking back to her hand smoothing over his surprisingly firm upper arm for a moment before letting her eyes meet his for a brief glance. “Not many men can pull off the James Bond white dinner jacket look, but I have to admit that it plays up that sense of temporarily contained chaos that you’re sending out with your eyes.”

He cracked a smile rather than a smirk, not wanting to overwhelm her now that she’d tipped her cards and all but admitted that she found him attractive, if not arousing. His thumb gently swept back and forth on her lower back as he looked into her grey eyes. Her pupils had dilated somewhat since they’d begun dancing and her cheeks had a hint of rosiness to them that hadn’t been there before. The alluring scent of her perfume, a woody incense tempered by the daintiest of flowers, wafted toward him and caused his hand to press slightly more firmly on her back until their bodies were all but touching.

“Alexandra, would you care to take a walk through the gallery with me?” he asked quietly as the song came toward its end and some of the crowd paused to give appreciative applause to the band. He brought her left hand back to his lips, unable to resist pressing a whisper of a kiss on the inside of her wrist… and a few inches higher up the inside of her arm, catching her off guard again.

Her heart was racing in her chest. Her brain was suddenly devoid of thought. She hadn’t felt this sort of spark in ages and, as amazing as it felt, it also scared her. Alexandra’s lips hesitated just long enough that she missed a chance to respond to him before Steve strolled up and held out a hand to her.

“Did you save a dance for me?” Steve asked in that boy-next-door way he often did as he appeared at their side.Of course, it was clear to Loki that it was a calculated move, based on the knowledge that Loki, raised with the manners of royalty and known for his ability to charm, would surely do the gentlemanly thing in this situation and let the woman dance with him.

Alexandra felt like she could breathe again as she looked at Steve, the intensity of the moment dissipating “I, um,” she started, looking between the two men. “Sure, if that’s… alright?” she replied, her eyes flickering back to Loki and lingering, as if to ask permission.

“By all means. You are your own woman, Alexandra,” he said, leaning in to kiss her hand again and whispering to her as he pulled away, his eyes never leaving hers, “for now.” The faint gasp she tried to hide made it difficult to keep his face from turning into a lustful smirk, but he managed to walk away before it became too much. Of course, he now had to deal with the others and watch as Steve engaged in another round of awkward flirting. Nothing good ever seemed to come without a dose of punishment.

Tony had become his usual ‘life of the party’ self and slung an arm around Loki as he stepped toward him. “Sooooo???” he nudged as they walked toward the others. “Did you get her to finally loosen up and have some fun?”

“I may have wound her tighter than she was before,” Loki said with the smirk, recalling all the lovely little gasps he’d had the pleasure of causing. “Hopefully the Captain will continue flailing about rather than successfully enticing her.”

“I have a plan!” Tony said, patting Loki’s back.

Loki turned toward him as they stood at the bar. “Why are you doing…. all of this?” he asked Stark, still rather surprised that the man who had taken the longest to trust him on the team was now going out of his way to assist him in bedding one of his top employees.

“Contrary to popular belief,” he began before sipping another drink, “I don’t hate you.”

“The veritable Stark seal of approval.” He raised a champagne glass in a silent toast and took a drink in Tony’s honor.

Stark actually chuckled at the comment. “She may be an evil queen sometimes, but she’s actually a decent person and I’d like to see her relax and have a life beyond work. From what I’ve seen, she seems to like you. That doesn’t happen very often… or ever. Mostly ever. ”

While Loki was talking with Stark, he felt a gaze on him and turned back to where he’d come from earlier. Steve was talking with Alexandra and a few others, but Alexandra’s eyes repeatedly left the soldier’s attention and returned to Loki as she listened… or pretended to listen. Her eyes had been like the still nighttime seas before a storm, the moonlight leaving a silvery shine glinting from the dark depths. There was more to this woman, that much was certain. He took another drink of champagne, his eyes traveling over her shape as his palm tingled with memories of her skin.

“You okay, Doll? You look a bit woozy,” Steve asked as she appeared flushed and seemed unable to focus on him for very long. “Wanna get out of here?”

Alexandra gazed across the room and found Loki chatting with Tony again, feeling a mix of relief and disappointment that his eyes were not on her. It was the first time she’d felt like she was appreciated - not merely seen - by a man in a very long time. Yes, she was praised and valued in her job and as a professional, possibly even feared at times for her ability, but this was different. This was far more dangerous than negotiating a deal or arguing in court. Money was far easier to lose than a heart.

“That’s probably a good idea,” she answered, breaking away from Steve and taking his arm. “I doubt I’ll last much longer here without feeling completely drained.”

“Lokes, I think she’s leaving with Cap…” Stark said as he saw Alexandra and Steve making their way through the crowd in the direction of the exit.

_Lokes?_ He would have groaned if he had time to waste, but instead he focused on the crowd, soon finding the glimmering gold of her dress as she was escorted out of the room by Rogers. He didn’t want to make a scene by using his seidr to move faster and he didn’t want her to believe he was needy or felt threatened by the soldier. She wasn’t his _yet_ and the look in her eyes moments earlier led him to believe that Steve would not be all that was on her mind for the rest of the evening.

“Tony, you’ve thrown quite the event, but it appears time for me to take my leave,” he said, patting Stark’s shoulder as he would have done to Thor in this situation.

“He has a mission tomorrow night, so maybe take it easy on the ass-kicking?” Stark suggested, believing that Loki was about to challenge Steve outside.

However, Loki had no such intentions. He slipped through the crowd and around a corner before rendering himself invisible. Once Steve escorted her past, Loki began trailing them. The walk from the tower to Alexandra’s residence was short enough that they didn’t bother getting a cab, but the Captain did put his jacket around her to shield her from being too exposed on the way. He walked a few strides behind them, careful to muffle his footsteps so that he would not be noticed. The two made small talk as they walked, Steve’s arm eventually moving around her shoulders. Loki’s initial reaction was to throttle him for touching her so casually, but he was able to contain the thoughts long enough to see them climb up some steps at a nearby brownstone.

“Would you like some coffee?” Alexandra asked as she unlocked the door and led him inside.

“Coffee’s good… maybe something a little sweeter…” Steve said before closing the door behind them.

Loki glared at the door and whispered a few choice Asgardian obscenities before walking back to the tower, assuming that Steve had managed to weasel his way to her bed. However, Loki missed seeing Steve leave about thirty minutes later, getting little more than a kiss on the cheek for escorting her home.


	3. Captain, What Are Your Intentions?

“Don’t you guys look cute in your little outfits…” Natasha taunted as a few of the group entered the gym in the new gear that Stark had foisted upon everyone.

“I fail to see your ensemble, Widow,” he said as she sat on the ground stretching in something other than the abhorrent clothing he’d had to wear. 

The following morning’s sparring session found Loki and Steve paired up. “Alright, no magic, no weapons, go!” Natasha said as the two began circling each other.

Steve went for a punch, but Loki was faster and stepped out of the way. “A bit tired this morning, Captain Rogers?” he hissed, catching Steve slightly off balance and sending him to the mats.

“Nope,” Steve answered, unexpectedly sweeping Loki’s feet from under him to send him down as well. “But you sure seem like you woke up on the wrong side of the bed.”

“Someone seems to have taken my rightful place,” Loki spat before launching himself at Steve, sending them both rolling on the floor in a mess of limbs.

“Again!?” Steve said with a slight laugh, knowing it’d get under Loki’s skin. They each got in a few shots before Steve managed to get the upper hand and put Loki in a hold. “You sure have a stroke of bad luck going, man.”

Steve didn’t realize that Loki had merely been toying with him, lazily playing along rather than making an actual effort to win the match. When Steve moved in just the wrong way, Loki was able to escape the move and quickly trapped Steve in a shoulder lock that would result in a fracture if Steve tried to get out.

“What are your intentions?” Loki hissed, his voice filled with barely-contained rage. “What. Are Your. Intentions?!”

“What do you mean!?” Steve replied, wincing as Loki pressed a spot that made him feel like his arm was on fire.

“You left with Miss Atherton last night, did you not?” Loki questioned, suddenly switching his grip and making Steve yell in pain.

“Y.. Yeah, I did,” Steve said, still not yielding.

Not wanting Natasha to call the match, Loki let Steve out of the hold and got to his feet. “I ask again - What are your intentions?”

“With her?” Steve said between a heavy breaths as he stood up. Loki attacked while he was moving his shoulder around to test it, knocking the wind out of him with a punch to the gut.

“Yes, you oaf!” Loki spatbefore tossing Steve head over heels onto his back and moving to try to capture his other shoulder. “Is she a one night stand or are you courting her?”

“What’s it to you!?” Steve said as he managed to kick Loki in the ribs before quickly rising and moving out of reach. “Afraid of a little competition?”

Loki glared at him from the mat before pressing himself up and walking toward him without removing his eyes for a second. When Steve tried to punch him, Loki’s hand grabbed his fist and stopped it mid-air. When he tried again, Loki stopped him again. “You’ll regret those words…” he warned before making a sudden move that placed Steve in another hold that trapped his already beaten-up shoulder.

Steve winced, then groaned in pain. “We’re just friends, okay!?” he said, worrying that much more of this would cause too much damage to handle his mission with Nat later that night. “We had coffee and she told me that she doesn’t date!”

_She doesn’t date… anyone?_ Loki let go of Steve and stood up. “Therefore, you have no intentions?” he questioned, looking at the man below as he rubbed his shoulder and moved it around a bit.

Groaning as he moved, Steve looked at Loki. “No, I have no intentions. _Happy_?”

“Actually, yes,” Loki answered, offering a hand and pulling the soldier off the mats. Tiring of watching Steve wince and groan, Loki placed his hand on the man’s shoulder. “Healing is not my specialty, but…” he said as he used his seidr to heal the strain. “Better?”

Steve moved his arm freely and without pain. “Yeah, I’m fine. Remind me to never spar with you when there’s a woman involved.”

After spending a short time throwing knives at various moving targets and then creating two clones to fight against, Loki wrapped up his training. He was used to wearing his armor, though when he and Thor would spar on Asgard in front of friends or even the women who seemed to follow (mostly) Thor around they’d go shirtless with only their leathers on their lower halves. As he left the gym, he tugged the Iron Man t-shirt off and used it to wipe the sweat from his brow instead. When he opened his eyes, Alexandra was standing next to him in front of the elevators.

“Miss Atherton, fancy meeting you here,” he hissed seductively as he quickly looked her over. He smirked as he noticed the color of her skirt and jacket. “…and in my color, no less.” As she looked up from the papers she had been reading, he smirked as her mouth remained open just a little bit when she looked at him. He contemplated waiting for her to regain her composure, but the way her bottom lip almost seemed to quiver shredded what little control he had. Stepping closer, he placed two fingers under her chin, nudging her mouth closed before allowing his thumb to trace over her bottom lip. He could feel her lips responding and stared expectantly at her face, watching the way her lips were about to purse and kiss his finger and then-

Alexandra jumped back in surprise as the elevator dinged as it stopped in front of them. Her heart was racing as Loki’s fingers drew away. “Prince Loki, you do realize that on Earth,” she said, quickly managing to get her thoughts under control, “most people are fully clothed while at work? Of course, there are a few occupations where that might not apply, but I highly doubt you’re a stripper.”

“I believe that training here falls into an exemption.” He gestured for her to enter the elevator and followed behind her.They both hit buttons and he stood across from her and smirked as he noticed that the delicate cream silk blouse and lace bra hiding under her jacket did nothing to hide her body’s response to seeing him shirtless. “But if it is Midgardian custom, then perhaps I ought to strip, hmm?” He stepped closer to her and leaned down to her ear, inhaling her scent before pulling away. The softness of her skin mixed with the lustful fragrance of her perfume and the telltale hints of arousal lingered deliciously as the elevator arrived at his floor.

“It appears our ride has come to an end,” she breathed, trying her best not to shiver from the chill of arousal that had gone down her back.He looked so smug… and so _good_.

“I am sure there will be many more, Miss Atherton,” he whispered, letting one hand move to her lower back as he had when they had danced. However, this time he abruptly pulled her closer, enjoying the gasp she took as less than an inch separated their bodies, her documents clutched to one side of her chest. Although he could have pulled her snugly against his body, he wanted to tempt her to close the gap - and she did. He had to hold back the sounds he wanted to make as her dainty left hand braced against his bare chest. The suddenness of his action had taken her slightly off balance and she had instinctually put her hand out to catch herself.

“Hmm?” she hummed in response, apparently at a loss for words.

Loki looked down at her face, capturing the telltale signs of desire all over it as she blushed and looked up at him. Disappearing his t-shirt to his pocket dimension, he grasped her hand in his as she still held it against his chest. “If you are free this evening, it would be my pleasure if you would join me for dinner,” he said, lightening his gaze.

“I have a meeting.” The answer came as a reflex, something that she regularly said to keep everyone at a distance.

The familiar voice of Tony Stark came across the speaker in the elevator. “Ummmm, no you don’t,” he said, tapping a few keys in the background as he changed her plans. “Canceled.”

Loki was aware that Tony was listening or watching him in public areas more often than not, so the sudden interjection did not surprise him. Yet again, the man with whom he was once at odds was assisting him and that _was_ still somewhat surprising. He leaned in and whispered in her ear. “Perhaps another dance as well, then. After all, you would be lying if you said that it did not feel _right_ to be in my arms.”

He was entirely _too_ smooth and _too_ good-looking. The charm offensive he had launched from the moment they were introduced was working in many ways, but she was still nervous enough to try other tactics to avoid the date. “I should get down to my office and wrap up these contracts…” she said, falling silent as she watched Loki lift her hand to his lips and press the softest of kisses against it.

“I shall arrive at your office within the hour,” he said, regretting that he had to release her.

Alexandra searched for excuses to be anywhere other than her office, but realized that she’d now painted herself into a corner office and nodded. “Do I need to change?” she asked as he let go of her hand and allowed her to pull away.

“Not a single thing,” Loki answered as he took a step backwards toward the open doors of the elevator.

She felt her cheeks turn rosy as he winked at her before turning and walking away, grateful that the elevators doors closed quickly. “Tony, you need to lay off,” she said, glancing up at the camera in the corner of the lift, “I don’t want to feel pressured into anything and you’re doing exactly the opposite of that.”

“Alex, I _know,_” Stark said sympathetically, “but you need to stop hiding and start living your life again. I can put up with a lot of misery, but I can’t keep watching you live in your office. You deserve so much more.”

Sighing, she ran her free hand over her forehead and down one cheek in frustration. “You could have at least pushed someone less perfect on me…”

Tony laughed heartily at her words. “Rock of Ages is _far _from perfect, Alex. Once you get past his goth-Prince good looks and manners, he actually has a lot more in common with you than you’d ever believe.”

“Sure, I _completely_ believe you.”

“I know you don’t, but you should,” Tony said as the lift arrived on her floor. “Give him a chance, okay? I wouldn’t have done this if Thor hadn’t agreed it was a good… well it wasn’t a _bad _idea.”

“Dammit, Tony! Now you have Thor in on it, too? Will you ever get out of my personal life?!” she nearly shouted as she exited the elevator, only to have his voice follow her along the corridor to her office.

“Nope. Not until you actually let yourself have one.”|

“Fine. _One_ date. _One._” She glared at the camera that was scanning her face before she entered her office, holding up her index finger. “FRIDAY, please document this so that you can show it to Tony when he begs for favors again….”

“Of course, Ms. Atherton…” the AI said, capturing her stare.

“One date, Stark. I will go out on _one date_ with him and then _you_ will call it all off and _I _will _never_ have to go on another date with _anyone_ at your behest."

“Alex, that’s all the two of you are going to need to realize you’re right for each other. Just wait and see.”

“Wait and see how _wrong_ you are, maybe…” she grumbled as she walked into her office.


	4. Discovering The Truth (Part I)

“FRIDAY, where is my brother?” Loki questioned as he strode into his apartment and began disrobing as he walked toward the shower.

“Thor Odinson is presently with Dr. Banner in the lab, Prince Loki,” the AI replied.

“Please summon him here, I will be out of the shower in ten minutes.”

“Of course, sir,” FRIDAY replied.

Loki stood under the water, allowing the warmth to wash away the sweat and frustration that had built up earlier in the day. He pondered the conversation in the elevator as he went about his shower. Alexandra obviously found him attractive. He cracked a smile as he thought over every little detail that had led him to that conclusion. The sweet blush on her cheeks, her deliciously aroused nipples, those gasps that escaped her luscious mouth as he held her close to him…

His mind wandered a bit more before he refocused. Yes, she found him attractive, but she was _more_ than hesitant to go to dinner with him.Stark was pushing her to do it and she was clearly apprehensive, despite the want Loki saw all over her when he was near. Why? Alexandra was successful, feisty, intelligent, and beautiful. There was, quite simply, no reason that she should be afraid of a date. However, she clearly was and Loki had no explanation for it.

A few minutes after Loki had finished drying off, Thor strode into his apartment. “Loki? I was told you wished to speak.” He walked to the nearby couch and sprawled out on it, his arms resting outstretched on the back as he looked around.

Loki stepped out of his room, towel still slung low around his hips and his damp hair hanging in waves. “Ah, yes. You are familiar with Miss Atherton, are you not?” he asked as he stepped into the kitchen area to get a drink of water.

“I am,” Thor answered. “I suppose Tony mentioned that I approved of his attempts to set you up with her?”

“He did mention that,” Loki replied, setting down his glass before walking toward the couch. “I believe you know things about her that I do not.”

Thor nodded hesitantly. “I suppose I do, but I believe you should ask her rather than me for them.”

“She did everything in her power to avoid agreeing to join me for dinner, only relenting once Stark chimed in and all but forced her,” Loki said as he perched on the arm of a nearby chair. “There are many signs that she is enamored of me, but I do not wish to force myself on someone who is not interested.”

Thor leaned forward, his elbows resting on his knees as he ran his hands over his face. This would be uncomfortable, but he had to do it. Taking a breath, he looked to his brother. “Do you remember when you were seeing that stick-thin blonde who would not stop drawing attention to herself simply because she could and getting into arguments with every single person at court?”

Loki’s eyes narrowed as he glared at Thor. “Yes…”

“And you obviously remember that she broke up with you after making a fool of you…” Thor added, knowing just how much Loki hated it when anyone brought up the girl.

“I fell in love with the senseless little…” he spat, unsure of what unsavory word he wanted to call her and settling for nothing at all, “…I followed her around like a Midgardian puppy in ridiculous garb, and then she unceremoniously dumped me - mere days after Fandral and Sif overheard me professing my love in the most pathetic ways and told everyone at court about it!” Loki nearly shouted. There were few things regarding women that upset or angered him more than the buffoon he’d been made into.

“Precisely my point, Loki,” Thor said, patting his grumbling brother’s shoulder. “You’ve avoided mouthy blondes ever since.”

Loki glared at Thor for a moment before letting go of his ire.“I see. Miss Atherton has a similarly unpleasant history and is avoiding repeating it at all costs.”

“Be patient with her, brother. She is very much like you - she struggles to trust anyone.” Thor stood from the couch as Loki did the same. “Also, I will murder you if you hurt her - slowly _and_ painfully.”He watched as his brother’s eyes widened, allowing Loki to take in the seriousness of his concern before grinning at him.

It was difficult to show his softer side to anyone, but Loki’s voice quietly intimated his intentions. “Thor, the thought of hurting her pains me. When I see her, I cannot stop myself from wanting to be near her or speak with her.”

“Talk to her and let her say what she feels comfortable saying. That is all the advice I can give you. This will not be a short or easy journey, Loki.” Thor walked to the door and gave his brother a nod before leaving.

Loki went about the rest of his preparations, putting on a dark gray suit with a white shirt and leaving the top buttons open. Although his natural preference was for a more formal look and black rather than gray, he realized that it usually caused him to appear intimidating and closed-off. Based on what Thor had said, those were precisely the opposite of what he needed to be to help Alexandra feel comfortable around him. In keeping with the suit, he had dried his hair and refrained from styling it as he usually did, allowing it instead to fall in waves.

“Hey, all set for dinner, Lokes?” Stark’s voice suddenly said from the communication system.

Silently reminding himself not to send a thousand snakes slithering into Stark’s office for this nickname he’d decided upon, Loki ran a hand through his hair instead. “Yes, I am leaving to go to her office now.”

“Actually… she’s coming to your apartment as we speak. Pepper’s sending a chef over to make dinner there.” Stark paused, knowing that Loki would wonder about the changes in plans. “Alex thought it’d be more comfortable to do things without running into anyone or needing to deal with people in public.”

Loki’s eyes went wide and he looked around. “Here? Now?”

“Yeah. I told her that you’d both feel more comfortable one-on-one there. You aren’t a big fan of people, she’s not a big fan of people. Might as well just eliminate being in public.”

“Sometimes you are surprisingly manipulative, Anthony,” Loki said with a smirk as he realized the other factors that went into the location change. “My thanks to you.”

“FRIDAY, put the sonic shielding up around Loki’s apartment. I don’t wanna hear anything coming out of there.”

Loki rolled his eyes as FRIDAY responded. “Prince Loki’s apartment is now acoustically fortified, Mr. Stark.”

“That will be all…” Loki said, hearing Tony chuckling in the background. Looking around the apartment, Loki put his seidr to work. Within seconds, everything was tidied up, his bedding was freshly changed - just in case - and lit candles were supplementing dimmed lighting in the living room. Glancing at one of the walls, he created a fireplace as Alexandra knocked at his door. He took a deep breath as he walked to the door and opened it to her.

“Miss Atherton,” he said calmly, stepping aside to allow her into the room.

“Prince Loki,” she said, stepping into his home and looking around, her eyes drawn to the candles and fireplace. “This is lovely…”

_It absolutely is… _He looked at the shape of her as she walked past him, the way her dark green jacket cinched around her high waist and her shapely hips and bottom were accentuated by the curve-hugging skirt that matched. His color was perfect on her, which was made even clearer by the way her auburn hair contrasted with it. “May I take your jacket?” he asked as he closed the door.

“Only if you lose yours,” Alex said as she turned around, unbuttoning the two buttons and shrugging it off her shoulders. She’d spent the last hour in her office, trying to work but trying harder to get herself together after their elevator encounter. She managed to get her words out, but when she really took a good look at him, she was back at square one and felt tongue-tied. He looked just as devilishly handsome as he did every other time she’d seen him, yet also different in a slightly softer way. His suit was immaculate, as she would expect from someone in his position, and the gray helped tone down the intensity that he always radiated. However, it was his hair that made him something else entirely; she’d only ever seen him with it slicked back, so seeing him this way was… stunning. Feeling the same chill of excitement rush through her as she had earlier, she draped her jacket over her arms and casually folded them across her chest, trying to calm her body’s automatic reaction to his presence while also pretending to challenge him.

Loki caught the flashes of embarrassed desire on her face and his better-than-human vision had seen the momentary rush of arousal peeking from under her blouse before she shielded it from his eyes. Her defense mechanism was obviously to revert to her business persona, which was why her face had quickly changed to a slight smirk and a raise of an eyebrow. He managed to keep himself from reacting and joined her.

“As my lady wishes…” he said as he calmly removed his jacket, trying his best to keep her comfortable rather than overwhelm her with the charm he so wanted to unleash. He turned to the nearby closet and hung his jacket before stepping back to her and gently taking her jacket from her arms. “May I?” he asked when she hesitated.

“Yes, of course,” Alexandra replied. She walked toward the fireplace, relieved to feel the calming warmth. Her eyes looked over the nearby bookcase and she moved closer, reading a few of the books’ spines. History, warfare, various scientific fields, a large number of things she couldn’t read the titles of due to their language, and art.

Loki slowly walked toward her, observing her as she examined his small library of books. It did not surprise him that this was the first place she would venture. The glow of the fireplace cast a warm light on her face and made her auburn hair glow with copper highlights. He watched as she reached to pull out one of the books. “Njalson’s _On Shapeshifting_,” he commented as she began paging through it.

“You are quite the renaissance man,” she replied, glancing over to him only to find that he was standing next to her. “Are these runes?” she asked as she looked over a page. “I don’t even know what these pages say, but the writing itself is beautiful. Is this common for books where you’re from?”

“Yes, they are runes and I suppose that I would say that artistry was a valued component of everything on Asgard, which is why you’ll often find that someone has exerted the effort to make even simple things more pleasing to the eye.” He leaned closer to her, allowing the side of her upper arm to rest against his chest as he pointed at the page and then laughed quietly.

“What’s so funny?” Alexandra asked, looking between him and the pages.

“Njalson’s writing can be rather cheeky.” Loki answered before he pointed out a paragraph and read the words to her in translation. “Chapter Nine: Becoming a Bilgesnipe - or - How My Wife Persuaded Me to Share Household Duties.”

She giggled in response. “Sounds vaguely familiar to things heard here on Earth. I suppose that is the true eternal struggle, isn’t it? Sorting out who does the washing up?” The sound of Loki’s laughter made her smile; it seemed so unlike his public persona.“What’s written in the margin here?” she asked after she flipped through the book to another page.

He leaned over again and gently let his arm rest around her waist, his hand resting at her side in a respectful but warm gesture. “Ah, that would be my adolescent scribbling,” he said, pointing out the words as he translated. “Thor was particularly disturbed when I became multiple snakes and slithered after him until he escaped into the throne room to hide next to Father.”

Alexandra’s eyes went wide at the words. “You really did that?!” She closed the book and tucked it on the shelf before looking at him.

Loki was surprised that she returned to the position she’d been in seconds earlier, allowing him to place his hand on her waist. “I did. Of course, I did many things to annoy Thor,” he said as he guided her toward the couch to sit. “He is the elder brother, after all. I was only fulfilling my obligations.” He sat back on the couch, resting his arm on it behind her and watching as she sat just close enough to be considered near, yet not close enough to be touching him. She then crossed her legs toward him and turned her body to face him.

“Thor is a good guy,” Alexandra said as she observed his relaxed appearance. “He’s given me a hand with a few things that came up while he’s been around the offices.”

“I did wonder how he had come to know you,” Loki responded, sensing that he should keep his mouth shut and let her talk.

Alex looked down at her hands for a moment. “Listen, I don’t want to bring down the mood but I suppose I should just get it out there and be done with it.” She looked over to Loki briefly, then between him and her hands as she spoke. “I went through a divorce a while ago; it wasn’t as bad as the marriage, but my ex showed up here a few times. He wasn’t pleased that I was finally leaving. Thor happened to be around for a couple of those ‘visits’ and personally escorted my ex out of the building when he started tearing into me about things.”

Loki gave her a gentle nod of understanding. “Thor is very good to have around in situations like that.” He wasn’t quite sure what to say about the rest of it. He’d been waiting to find out what caused her to be so hesitant, but now that he knew he understood why Thor had warned him.

She felt awkward. The few times she’d tried to date in the couple of years since the divorce hadn’t gone so well, so she’d largely given up and had thrown herself into her work instead. “God, I barely know you and I’m spilling my guts,” she commented, standing up to move around, believing she’d feel differently somehow if she did. “I’m sorry. You really don’t need to hear about that and I’ve completely intruded by bringing it up here and now. I just… it’s a sticking point for a lot of people - being divorced - and I always figure that it’s better to get it out in the open early on. No need to get past a certain point if that’s somehow a deal-breaker for someone, right?”

He pondered what to do in this situation as he watched her pace back and forth a couple times. “Alexandra, you don’t have to explain to me what it feels like to be haunted by something.” Loki stood up and walked over to where she stood in front of the wall of glass, looking out over the city. “Do you see that corner with the new construction?” he asked, pointing a few blocks away. “I destroyed the building it is replacing.”

“But Thor said…” she said, feeling him standing just closely enough behind her to be noticed.

“That I was but a thrall to the strongest being in the universe?” he responded quietly.

“Yes,” she said as she looked at the building and tried to reconcile the difference between the attacker who’d taken out parts of the city and numerous lives… and the charming man who felt entirely too close.

“I was. I had no choice after what I had been put through.” He stepped away, giving her more space. “I have had to come to terms with the terror I experienced and the result of my actions.”

Alex took a deep breath, exhaled, and turned around. Loki was at the door, letting the chef into the apartment. She was thankful for the interruption, not wanting to relive the darkest, most shameful, most painful moments of her life again. “Let me give you a hand with that…” she said, walking over and taking a box from the chef’s hand before it could fall. Doing something useful helped her step away from her thoughts and back into the evening. She placed it on the countertop and watched as the chef began unpacking his larger box of ingredients.

“Please, go back to your evening. I’ll let you know when your meal is ready,” the younger man said. “I hope you like duck.”

“I do, thank you,” she answered, turning to find Loki re-entering the room from what must’ve been his bedroom.


	5. Discovering the Truth (Part II)

“Red, white, or Asgardian?” he asked as he walked over to a bar area and gestured at the bottles.

“I’ve heard things about Asgardian wine,” Alexandra said with a smirk. “Actually, I suppose I’ve _seen_ some things - though Thor _was_ singing something about a battle and fucking when I found him naked in an elevator after a party a few months ago.”

Loki joined her in a laugh. “Thor does have a tendency to overindulge. Perhaps a softer red would be a better idea this time around,” he said with a wink before using his seidr to remove the cork. Alex had returned to the couch and appeared much more comfortable than she had moments earlier.

She glanced over to the kitchen area and silently appreciated the scents that began swirling in the room. A moment later, Loki was offering her a glass and sitting down next to her. Wanting to keep things light, she took a sip and enjoyed the wine instead of toasting to something. “This is delicious,” she commented a moment later.

Loki tasted the wine and enjoyed the look on her face. “It is quite good,” he commented, watching as she placed her glass on the coffee table in front of the couch.“Stark regards you very highly. After reviewing what you have achieved, I can understand why.”

“He and I go way back.” Alexandra relaxed a bit turned her body so that she could face him directly. “We met at university in a first-year course that everyone was forced to take,” she remembered fondly. “The two of us would spend the boring lecture periods playing games on a notepad, with Tony sneaking in the occasional naughty bit into our word games.”

He could not ignore the fondness that he saw in her expression as she recalled the friendship.He’d seen a similar fondness on Stark’s face at times. “Pardon my forwardness, but…” he started, unable to keep himself from asking the question that immediately came to mind, “how is it that you are not with Stark?”

She nearly snorted when she laughed at the suggestion. “We tried that after a year or so of being friends,” she admitted, watching Loki’s brow rise in curiosity. “I’ll spare you the lurid details of that first-time tale.”

Loki’s mouth went dry at the words, realizing another layer of strangeness involved in their current situation. He took another drink, not knowing how to respond to the knowledge that Stark had been her first lover. Luckily, Alex found an easier way forward.

“I think you’ve seen enough of Tony by now to understand how things worked out. It only took a few months until his eyes were dazzled by others… many, many others… perfect-looking blonde bimbo others…” She smiled a bit, the history no longer bothering her despite the six months that she had refused to speak to him after he was caught having a threesome with her roommate and another girl. “Tony is Tony.”

“… and now you sit at his right, more a shield maiden than any I have ever known.” He had a half-smile, half-smirk on his lips as he said the words, knowing that they were certainly an accurate description of her role.

“Shield maiden, hmm?” she hummed, lifting her glass. “Your brother tends to call me a long-lost Valkyrie. ”

Loki had been enjoying their conversation and the playful exchanges interspersed with more serious moments, but this revelation was surprising. “Thor calls you…” he said quietly, stunned that his brother would bestow such a nickname on a mortal. There was an underlying meaning to the nickname that the brothers both understood, as they had grown up idolizing the Valkyrie after hearing tales of the bravest, fiercest female protectors of Asgard. In their adolescence, both had sworn that they would find such women for themselves. “He has not,” he started, clearing his throat before continuing, “bedded you, has he?”

“Thor?!” Alex giggled before finishing her wine. “No, no thank you, not my type. He’s a good friend, but big, burly, and boisterous is not the sort of man I tend to like as anything more.”

His mind was swirling with all the newfound information. Drinking the last sip of his wine, he gathered their glasses and retreated to the bar to refill them and regain his own composure once more. He could see Alexandra moving toward the kitchen in his peripheral vision and listened to her making small talk with the chef as he finished cooking their meal. As he ran through all the things she’d told him, he understood why Stark had said they were suited for each other.

Loki poured the wine and finally went to sit with her at the kitchen counter, placing her glass down before her as she was talking animatedly with the chef about some prior kitchen mishap of hers. He appreciatively watched the chef and listened to her story, but he mostly watched her as she spoke. Despite the various rumors of her being evil, cold, and fearsome, in this moment she was compelling, sweet, and easygoing.

“Loki?”

He saw her waving her hand in front of him and realized that he’d lost himself in thought as he’d been watching her. “My apologies, I was admiring your voice and apparently forgot to listen to _what_ you were saying,” he said, feeling a bit embarrassed at getting caught daydreaming.

“Unless there is anything else that you need, I believe I am expected at Mr. Stark’s penthouse soon,” the chef said, excusing himself after he placed your meals down in front of you.

“This smells exceptional,” Loki commented.

“Thanks for cramming us in, Josh,” Alex said with a smile before the chef showed himself out.

Loki glanced at her. “You know him?”

She sat down and watched him begin eating as she formulated an answer. “Well, Tony once set me up on a date with him and it went incredibly poorly because I was, as Tony has started saying, a hot mess.” After a soft sigh and an internal questioning of whether she was still a hot mess, she cut into the duck and joined him.

“I am not familiar with that expression,” he replied between bites. The meal tasted even better than it smelled.

“A hot mess?” Alex said, looking at him for a moment. “Tony made me watch some of the old footage from the Tower’s cameras from _back then_,” she said, knowing that he understood without her needing to go into the actual events that he had been involved in, “and let me say that you were the _hottest_ mess of all the hot messes that I have _ever_ seen.” Loki stopped eating and stared at her. She watched his eyes squint and his brows lower in confusion. The gears seemed to slowly turn and she saw his brows rise and a look of surprise appear on his face.

“Are you saying that you found me attractive even though I was completely out of my mind?” he questioned.

“And _that_ is exactly what a hot mess is - it’s like watching a slow-moving train wreck, even when someone is good-looking. You know things are going to go south, but in the meantime… you can’t stop watching.” She took another bite, thought for a moment, and then added, “Of course, that’s only _my_ interpretation of the phrase. It can be as simple as saying that Thor was a hot mess in that awful suit at the party.”

He chuckled. “I tried to fix it, but some things are so _ghastly_ that they cannot be fixed,” Loki said with a smile, watching her lovely lips as she ate.

Alex snickered at the words. “You’re a good brother for trying.”

He very briefly glanced at the way she was touching his shoulder after saying the words, surprised by her level of comfort around him. “I suppose I have my moments.”

The rest of the meal went by with casual conversation that left both of them feeling quite relaxed with each other. When they finished, Loki used his seidr to quickly tidy up as Alex took off her heels and sat on the floor in front of the fireplace, her legs tucked to one side as she relaxed. He soon joined her, passing her a glass with a bit of very diluted Asgardian wine. “That glass is likely similar to drinking a stiff Midgardian whiskey, so pace yourself,” he warned.

Alex smiled toward him, taking a smell of the liquid first - mostly because it gave her an excuse to look at him over the rim of the glass and watch the light from the fire flicker over his features. She took a sip and watched as he smirked, knowing her face looked surprised. “This is amazing… I can understand why Thor was naked in that elevator now.”

Loki laughed until the thought was less funny and more arousing, causing him to find something else to say to take his mind off of the idea of Alexandra shedding her clothing. “Am I still a hot mess, Miss Atherton?” he questioned, taking a drink from his own glass.

She pondered for a moment, looking him over as clinically as she could manage. “No, Prince Loki,” she replied, reflecting his silly reversion to formality, then upped the ante by letting her voice take on a whisper of the sultry ‘bedroom voice’ quality it had naturally, rather than her more professional and brighter public voice, “you’re not a _mess_ anymore.”

He sipped his drink and calculated his next move. She’d been flirting with him throughout the evening, slowly growing more bold in her statements and more comfortable in her actions around him. However, he could tell that she was doing much the same as he had been all night - just as he had occasionally needed to regroup, Alexandra seemed to have moments of being overwhelmed by the situation. While Loki was debating as he stared into the fire, the woman next to him had moved closer.

Loki was pulled out of his thoughts by the feeling of Alex’s fingers running through his hair. He turned his head to look at her and, instead of meeting her eyes, felt the featherlight touch of her lips against his own. Just as quickly as she had kissed him, she pulled away and left him thirsting for more. Whatever internal debate he’d been having about what to do next had been cast aside entirely in that second or two, resulting in Loki losing the restraint that he’d been holding together all evening.

“Alexandra…” he whispered, taking their glasses and placing them on the nearby coffee table. A moment later, he slipped his arm around her back and drew her closer while his other hand touched her cheek. His lips brushed against hers, slightly open and inviting. He could feel her anxious breaths and knew she was experiencing the same rush of excitement, but her response was still tentative, as if she didn’t trust herself. Although he wanted to dive into the moment until they were both panting and mauling each other on the floor, he knew that he had to temper his lust.

Loki continued gently exploring, his lips wandering to her cheek to signal that he did not intend to push her any further than she wanted to go. As he took a few breaths to calm himself, he felt her pillowy lips press a torturously slow line of kisses over his own cheek. Her hands moved to rest on his upper chest, her fingers toying with the collar of his shirt as if she wasn’t sure what to do next. She finally made her way back to his lips and paused to take a breath, resting her forehead against his.

He didn’t want this to stop so soon. Even if all they did was exactly what they were doing just now, he did not want it to end this quickly. Patience had never been a point of pride for him and this was the most trying test he had faced in some time.His control was slipping.

A moment later, he felt Alex’s soft smile pressed against his mouth. When her hands slid upward and moved onto his shoulders and then began creeping up the back of his neck and into his hair, he could hold back no longer. His hand moved from her cheek to her thigh, lifting her as his other hand shifted from her back to her other thigh. Her hands remained in his hair and he felt her gasp against his mouth as he moved her. A moment later, her slim skirt had slipped upward just enough so that she could be placed astride his lap on her knees.

“Whatever you want… or don’t want…” he whispered, both of his hands resting on the middle of her back and giving her space. Her touch felt like fire as he kissed her again, softly, teasingly, dragging his teeth over her lower lip before soothing it with his lips. The sound of her breathing had quickened, a few gasps against his mouth as he nibbled every so often. He groaned as her hands tugged softly at his hair, finally deepening her kiss.

It was then that his instincts kicked in again. His tongue teased her as his hands slowly slipped down her back. She reacted to his touches with another delicious little gasp and he used the opportunity to slip it inside, feeling her respond again as her flicked his tongue against hers before withdrawing, waiting for her reaction.

“Loki,” she whispered between kisses.

The sound of her voice, breathy and flush with desire, pushed him further. As his hands reached the curves of her hips, he growled into her kiss and pulled her toward him, causing her body to press against his. This time, when he heard her gasp he knew it wasn’t like the others.

“Darling?” he asked as he pulled his mouth from hers and rested his forehead against hers, taking a moment to catch his breath.

Alex opened her eyes, drunk on the hormones that seemed to be surging between them. Her hands came to rest on his shoulders and she let them slip to his chest, feeling his heart pounding beneath her palm. She pulled back from him and looked into his eyes, seeing the mix of desire and concern in them. His hands were gently stroking her back as he gazed at her.

“Loki, I think I should go…”

He immediately wondered what he’d done to make her want to leave, but released his grip on her to let her know he accepted her decision. “Will I see you again?” he asked, his eyes following her face as she rose from her position and pulled her skirt down before straightening the rest of her clothing and slipping her heels back on.

“I’m sure we’ll run into each other in the labs. I’ll be in and out quite a bit,” she admitted as he rose from the floor with her and escorted her to the door.

He knew the answer was an automatic response, much like those she’d given Stark earlier. “Alex…” he whispered, still wondering why there was such a sudden shift in her. When she looked back at him, he leaned closer and kissed her cheek before pulling away. Her eyes met his and he could see the conflict in them. “This was…”

“Wonderful,” she said, touching his cheek and watching the look on his face lighten.

Loki pulled her hand to his lips one more time, kissing it as he looked at her. He poured all the emotions he could into the gaze, trying his best to be open to her without overwhelming her even more. “FRIDAY?” he said as he pulled back from her.

“Yes, Prince Loki?” the AI replied.

“Please summon one of Stark’s drivers for Miss Atherton and have them meet her at the entranceimmediately.”

“Of course, Prince Loki…” FRIDAY said. Seconds later, she confirmed the vehicle was pulling around.

Loki tucked Alex’s hair behind her ear, sneaking a pale pink flower there for her to find later.

“Thank you,” Alex said as he pulled her jacket from the closet and helped her into it, “for everything.” She kissed his cheek once more before he opened the door and she walked through it.

“The pleasure was mine, darling,” he replied, softly smiling before she walked toward the elevators and he closed the door.


	6. Why?

“Was it _that_ bad?” Tony asked as he sat next to Alex at a table in his office. They’d just finished looking through a few drafts of contracts for deals in the works when Alex did something entirely out of character - she put her arms down on the table and let her forehead fall onto them with an exasperated sound.

“Did he do something out of line?! Alex, I swear to god I will kill him if he did something…” he said as he watched his longtime friend’s shoulders start to shake. She was crying. “FRIDAY, where’s Hot Topic?” he asked.

“Prince Loki is training with Thor Odinson in the gym,” the AI replied.

“PERFECT!” Tony answered, hitting a button on a nearby panel that brought out one of his suits. “Thor can help me kill him.”

“Tony, stop being so melodramatic,” Alex said, sitting up at the table. “Put the suit away.”

“Then get your ass on the couch and tell me what the hell is going on with you and why I shouldn’t.”

Alex sighed and did as he asked, sitting on the nearby leather couch and accepting the cup of coffee he handed her before joining her.

Meanwhile, Thor was surprised to find Loki’s aim was extremely off as daggers flew at his head and missed by feet rather than the sliver of an inch Loki usually allowed during training. “Are you ill?” he asked before suddenly charging at his brother and causing them both to hit the floor. Loki hadn’t even tried to evade him. “Brother, you haven’t let me win so easily since…”

It took him a moment to register that Thor was asking him something. “Hmm?” he questioned before summoning two swords for Thor to use.

Thor raised an eyebrow and recalled Loki’s date the night before. “Loki… what happened last night with Alexandra?” he questioned, holding back a smile as her name finally caught the other man’s attention.

He tossed the swords to Thor hilt-first, watching as the man caught them and moved both weapons through the air in a well-practiced pattern. “She left early.”

“Oh…” Thor said before Loki began summoning enemies to come at him. He slashed through the first two quite easily.

“Long-lost Valkyrie, Thor?” he said as he circled his brother along with three clones of himself.

Thor looked from one Loki to the others, trying to determine which one was real. He slashed into one and it disappeared. He looked to his right, then his left. “Does she not remind you of the tales Mother used to tell us?” he questioned before suddenly turning and cutting down the clone that had been behind him.

Loki and his last clone began moving, disappearing and appearing before Thor to throw him off. “I will require further observation before I can provide a conclusive answer,” he said, smacking the back of Thor’s head as he ran past. Thor dropped his swords and rushed after him.

“What did she tell you about getting to know me?” Thor questioned, reaching out and grabbing Loki by the arm before he could get away. The clone on the other side of the room disappeared.

He stared at his brother for a moment. “She explained that you’d assisted her with an unwanted visitor.”

Thor nodded and the walked toward the exit. “That man deserved to be thrown from the top of the tower for the things he said to her. Your ‘mewling quim’ remark looks like a compliment by comparison.”

The thought of anyone saying awful things to Alex caused a slight surge of anger in him. “He should pray he never comes face to face with me in a dark alley, then. I would make your prior handling of him look merciful.” They moved into the hallway and walked toward the lab, knowing that Banner was testing out another device.

Back in Tony’s office, Alex had finished crying. “I am _such_ an idiot…” she sighed as she sat with her back to Tony’s front on the couch. To anyone else, it would likely seem inappropriate, but it had been a habit of theirs ever since Tony had begged for forgiveness following their failed relationship, having missed her friendship during the months she had refused to speak to him.

“So you left?” he asked, setting his jaw on one of her shoulders. “Why?”

She sighed. “You know why. It’s always the same.”

“Alex, you need to stop allowing your past to dictate your future.” Tony stopped and chuckled. “My therapist would be proud - I never seem to take the advice, but at least I pass it on.”

“…I’m afraid…” she whispered, closing her eyes and letting her head fall back onto him.

“Of what? You know that Thor and I are around if you need us,” he answered. “Date the guy in public places if you have to, but don’t push him away just because you’re afraid.”

“I’m not afraid of Loki,” she said, rolling her eyes. “He actually seems… nice.”

“_Nice?_ _Really?_” Stark answered. “Maybe you’re right, maybe you shouldn’t be dating.”

“Shush. He was a perfect gentleman and very interesting to talk to,” she said, pinching Tony’s arm.

“Hey!” he reacted, rubbing his forearm. “So you’re saying that you _like_ him?” he asked. It’d been a very long time since his old friend had actually liked someone.

Alex sighed. “Yes.”

“Do you _like_ like him, Alex?” he teased, laughing as she faced him just enough to roll her eyes again.

“Shut it before I call Pepper and tell her you’re down here harassing me about being single again.”

“You’re afraid of getting into a relationship and letting someone close to you again,” he said quietly. “I know that feeling. Trusting people, it’s fucking hard. Pepper wore me down until I really didn’t have a choice.”

“I worry about another man being like Charles…” she said.

Stark paused for a moment, thinking about his words. “I will deny this forever if you tell anyone, but ever since Loki got his mind back after the battle and _everything_, he’s seemed… decent. Thor told you how they were raised. I don’t think you need to worry about Loki being like _that_.”

“Fine, then I’m afraid of losing myself again. I’m afraid of falling for someone and I’m afraid of someone having such a massive role in my life. I don’t want to get hurt… mentally or physically.” She felt Tony’s embrace tighten and his kiss press against her hair.

“I have a pretty massive role in your life…” he pointed out.

“We’ve known each other forever, you knew me before all that happened… It’s different.”

Stark paused to answer his phone, briefly talking to Pepper about yet another gala he had to attend and yet another item in development. “What’d you just say!?” he said, jumping off the couch so quickly that he completely forgot that Alex was there.

“Ow! Tony!” Alex said as she picked herself up from where she’d been dumped onto the floor. By the time she looked over at him, Tony had ended the call and looked more terrified than she did. “What the hell was that?!”

He began pacing, his hands moving around as he spoke. “Holy shit, Alex,” he said with a shaking voice as he ran his hands through his hair. “Holy fucking shit.”

“What is it?!” she asked, walking closer and giving him a shake by the shoulders. “Did something happen?”

“Pepper’s pregnant…”

Alex’s eyes grew big at the words. “Congratulations…” she said, her voice wavering between enthusiasm and questioning. She wasn’t sure whether this was a good or bad thing in Tony’s eyes. “…I think?”

Stark’s forehead went straight to her shoulder and she hugged him. “Fuuuuuuuck…” he groaned. “I’m the last person who should have a kid.”

“So this wasn’t intentional?” Alex asked, surprised by the need to do so.

“No, it was… Pepper _really_ wanted to take that step,” he commented, banging his head on her shoulder gently. “When Pepper wants something, you know how it goes. She’s so damn good at convincing me.”

“There was a time when you weren’t so easily convinced, Tony.” Alex stopped him from continuing the motion and walked him over to the couch. “Even I couldn’t talk you out of a couple things that you ultimately regretted doing.”

“Don’t start!!” he suddenly pleaded. “I know, I know, you’re brilliant and I’m - well, I’m brilliant, but let’s admit that sometimes I can focus on some things to the exclusion of others…” He put his elbows on his knees and his hands on his face. “I need to get my head together. I can’t go up there and have her think I regret it already.”

“Tony, you are going to be fine. You are not your father,” she said, patting his back. “I think someone told me a few minutes ago that you can’t let your past rule your future…”

He cracked a smile and looked at her. “If you’re going to throw _that_ in my face, we’re going to have to come to an agreement here, Alex.”

She raised an eyebrow. “Are you seriously trying to negotiate something?”

“If I’m going to accept that I’m not going to be a terrible father and scar the poor kid for life, then you’re going to have to accept that you and the Dark Lord obviously have something going on and your happiness is worth the risk.” He reached over and held onto her hand as it rested on her leg.

Alex stared at their hands, recalling Loki’s question about the two of them. “You know, he wondered why you and I aren’t together…”

Tony snorted. “Did you tell him that I was a young, horny fool and you have always been way out of my league?” he said, squeezing her hand.

“I think the second part was implied, but something like that.”

They stood and hugged for a moment. “You can have your own personal deity. He’s no god of chocolate and honesty, but I’m sure there are some redeeming things.”

“You are about to have the family you’ve always wished you had.”

Parting, they gathered their things, tidied themselves up, and left the office together. “We can compare notes about everything terrifying us…” Tony joked as they stood at the elevators.

Down in the lab, Loki used his seidr to tweak something they’d been working on. Knowing that he wasn’t exactly useful in the lab, Thor had just returned from making drinks. “Rocket fuel for Bruce,” he said, setting a mug with plain black coffee down in front of him. “Tea for Loki,” he nodded ashe set down Loki’s mug, “and for me…”

“A bowl of diabetes?” Banner chimed in as he looked at the massive “cup” of something topped with whipped cream, chocolate shavings, _and_ sprinkles. “Huh, can you guys even get that?” he wondered out loud.

“That is the sugar issue? As gods, no,” Loki answered. “Though Thor appears to be on a quest to challenge those boundaries. Such a glorious achievement _that_ will be,” he said dryly.

Thor chuckled a bit. “What is the Midgardian expression…” he said, thinking for a moment. “Work hard, play hard?”

“Thanks for reminding me that I should really take a vacation,” Banner said, suddenly realizing that the second part of that suggestion didn’t really exist. “What about you, Loki?”

Loki looked over at Banner and then to Thor. “I do not think that I would be a suitable travel partner for you, Banner.”

Thor laughed a bit at the thought before Bruce responded. “No, I mean… how’d the date with Alex go?”

“It was going well until she suddenly decided to leave,” he responded quietly, still torturing himself by trying to figure out what he had done wrong, “I do not know why.”

“I’m sure it was nothing,” Bruce said. “It’s not like you suddenly Hulked out, scared the hell out of her, and Nat had to come talk you back to normal…”

Loki paused. “Is there anyone who has _not_ attempted to court her here?”

“Thor hasn’t,” Bruce replied, tapping a few things into the computer.

“I believe her words were ‘I’m not _lumbersexual_, Thor,” the blond man said with a laugh. “She then explained that I looked like a lumberjack and…”

“You are not her type,” Loki said with a smirk. It felt incredibly good to know that a desirable woman seemed to like him more than Thor.

“…but you are,” Bruce said before covering his mouth with his hand.

“Am I?” Loki said in a cocky tone, raising an eyebrow as he slowly stalked his way over to Banner’s workstation. “Whatever would give you that idea?”

Thor was chuckling between gulps of his hot chocolate. “You’d better tell him whatever it is, Bruce,” he said, “because we don’t have time for you to change and Natasha is on a mission.”

“A few months ago, Alex was walking with a group of other women after a meeting and the other women were all talking about men,” he explained. “Apparently it was more like they were playing a few rounds of “Marry, Fuck, Kill” featuring… umm… the team. _Our_ team.”

Thor jumped into the conversation when Loki looked at Banner questioningly. “It is a game where someone says three people and the other person has to decide who they would do those things to. It can be _very_ amusing. Lady Darcy would play it quite often.”

“I see,” Loki replied, “…and?”

“Nat just happened to be down the hall and heard the entire thing. So… the girls were going on and on about things and it was pretty obvious that Alex was one step from shutting them all down because she looked _pissed_.” Bruce explained before he tinkered with the device a bit. “And then… they asked her.”

“Not exactly the smartest thing to do,” Thor commented before taking another drink. “I’m surprised she didn’t stop them earlier.”

Bruce shrugged before continuing. “Marry, fuck, kill - and the girls gave her the options of Steve, Thor… and you.”

“Oh, this should be good,” Thor said, rubbing his hands together. “Who died?”

“Who _always_ dies in that game?” Bruce said as he nudged his way past Loki, who was still looming around him as if he intended to intimidate him.

“Rogers…” Thor beamed. “What of me?”

“The girls must’ve seen Loki down the hall or something, because Nat said that Alex stunned all of them. She said she’d kill Steve, she’d marry you, and then she saw Loki, pointed down the hall at him, and told them all that she’d _‘fuck him until he runs dry because he’d obviously be a million times better than the other two in bed_’. Nat said the looks on their faces were hilarious.”

Banner finished up what he was doing and looked back, only to find that Thor and Loki were staring back at him with open mouths.“Guys?”

“Well that’s only because she doesn’t _think_ I’m her type!” Thor finally said in his own defense. “I’m nothing like _Rogers_. Besides, she said she’d _marry_ me.”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” Nat said as she strolled into the room. “We know, you’re a dreamboat and of course someone would want to marry you, Thor.”

“Natasha,” Loki said as she patted his cheek with a sense of taunting and fondness.

“She’s probably right, too,” she said, winking at him before taking a seat next to Bruce. “Figure out what wasn’t working?”

Thor watched as Nat and Banner became engrossed in their own conversation, probably intentionally. “At least I know that there’s a wiling future queen of New Asgard if things don’t work out for the two of you,” Thor joked, knowing that it would rile up his brother. It worked.

“Find your own elsewhere, Brother,” Loki said before rushing out of the room. Unfortunately, Alexandra had been called away on a work trip with Pepper, leaving him to plot and scheme for when she returned.


	7. The Contract

A few days later, Alex was waiting with two other members of the legal team in a conference room. They were expecting a delegation of lawyers from SHIELD to arrive for negotiations regarding a contract for photovoltaic material that could be used to create body armor that also served as a converter for solar energy. What walked into the room was the most terrifying thing she’d seen in a while. Her ex-husband.

“I didn’t realize you’d be in on this deal, Alexandra,” the man said as he stood across the table from her, a smug grin on his face as if he’d planned it.

“Charles,” she said, feeling sick to her stomach at the sight of him. It had always been a possibility, as he worked as an attorney for procurement by a department in the government, but she had hoped that she would not have to be the one handling the deal when he arrived someday. Alexandra tried not to look at him too much, catching a glimpse of his too-expensive suit and light brown hair that was getting some salt-and-pepper to it here and there. Feeling her hands tremble, she picked up a nearby binder and held onto it to cover her fear.

“I had wondered when I would see your face around here,” he replied, checking his pricey watch. Some things never changed. His dark eyes looked up as four other people finally entered the room, two were Stark employees and two were with _him_.

She could feel his leering and wanted nothing more than to leave the room. Setting down the binder, she walked to the far corner of the room for distance, getting herself a cup of coffee. The negotiations would be a disaster if she didn’t do something to pull someone else in to take her place. Charles was definitely not above exploiting the things he knew, the awful things he had inflicted on her for years. She drank the coffee quickly and was pouring another cup when the man stepped over to her and loomed behind her, just close enough for her to sense he was there.

“I think we need to settle some things, don’t we Alex?” he said quietly as the others were all too busy getting ready for the dealing to begin.

“No, we don’t,” she said firmly, turning and attempting to slip past him to join her team.

After failing to see Alex anywhere since their date, Loki finally decided to visit her office and take her to lunch. When he walked into the legal department, he saw a group of women stare at him and whisper. Unable to resist riling them up for no real reason, he strolled over with a playful grin on his face. “Ladies, could you point me in the direction of Miss Atherton?” he asked, looking over each of them like a rogue.

The only one that seemed to have functioning brain cells left pointed toward the far corner. “You might not want to go in there, her ex is there.”

“Thank you,” he said, his footsteps falling faster as he moved toward a large conference room, where someone had already closed the blinds, effectively shuttering its occupants from the view of those outside.

Unfortunately for Alex, Loki hadn’t arrived fast enough and she came storming out of the conference room immediately after he’d heard “Get your hands off of me!”

“Alexandra, get over here right now! We are _not done_ speaking!” a man shouted at her as he followed after her with a very large coffee stain on his shirt.

Loki glared at him. The man was obviously older than her, but even more obviously the ex that she feared. “You…” he said, his voice dark, low, and sharp. He was about to step towards the man when Alex practically threw herself at him, having ran down the side of the office before Charles could catch her.

She had caught a glimpse of him as she’d opened the door, having thrown her coffee at Charles’ chest when he grabbed at her in front of their colleagues. It would be okay, she just had to make it across the room and it would be okay. “Loki… please…” she whispered, her hand still pressed against her cheek as she curled into his chest, hiding her face from everyone. “Call security, get Tony, and… please get me out of here.”

He could see the other man sizing him up from across the room, but it didn’t stop Loki from doing what mattered most. “I will,” he said, feeling the way her body was shaking against him. He pulled her tight against his chest, glared back at Charles, and then summoned one of his knives and sent it hurling at the man, the blade acting as a warning as it flew within inches of his face. “FRIDAY, send security to the legal department and alert Stark that a certain unwelcome visitor needs to be dealt with…”

“They are on their way now, Prince Loki,” the AI replied. “Thor Odinson is joining them.”

“You fucking bitch!” Charles spat as he walked toward them, enraged. “You think you can walk away so easily, humiliating me in front of everyone we know!?”

Everything from then on happened so quickly, that Alex barely registered any of it as Loki pulled her out of the room after sending another dagger or two toward Charles to keep him in place - Loki’s pinpoint accuracy resulted in the daggers catching the fabric of Charles’ suit jacket right at the shoulders, before sticking him to the wall. They’d joined the exodus of the other staff members that had fled the moment Thor had come sprinting down the hallway with Tony two steps behind.

“What did I tell you last time!?” they heard Thor growl loudly from down the hallway before Loki pulled her into an elevator and hit the button for his floor.

“Alex?” he said softly, keeping his arm around her as she returned to his chest.

“Thank you,” she whispered, her cheek still burning as it rested against him, out of sight.

“The others are going to take care of him. Is it okay if I take you to my rooms?” he asked as the lift went higher. “It will be more secure than taking you home.”

“Yes, it’s okay,” she answered, feeling the elevator slow to a stop.

He felt the way she was clinging to him, either unwilling or unable to move away alone, and swept her up into his arms. “Are you injured?” he asked, seeing the way she kept her cheek against his chest. “Did he _hit_ you?” he whispered, doing his best to control his outrage and the sudden rush of anger he felt as he saw her eyes briefly look to him. Thankfully, the biometric scanner opened the door and he was able to walk her over to the couch. He set her down gently and sat next to her, his hand removing her own from her cheek.

“Oh, darling,” he said as he looked over the bright handprint. She winced as he touched over her cheek to make sure nothing seemed broken.

“Could you get me some ice?” she asked, knowing that a bruise would begin appearing. The familiar sense of shame was starting to settle in as she looked toward the floor.

“I could, but I would rather heal it than allow you to suffer,” he replied, thankful that there were no broken bones or other more severe injuries to her. Alex nodded and looked at him, a soft light of curiosity finding its way to her face. “It may tingle a bit. I don’t want to startle you.”

“Go ahead,” she answered, watching his fingers until they were on her skin. She closed her eyes at his gentle touch, his palm pressing against her cheek as a bit of warmth rushed through her. “Was that —?”

He stroked her cheek a second time before pulling his hand away and looking over the area. “Just a bit of seidr - _magic_, as you would call it here. How does it feel?” he asked, tucking her hair behind her ear.

“Better,” she nodded, her eyes focused on him for a few more minutes until she rested her other cheek on his shoulder.

He put an arm around her and let her relax against him. “I was coming to see you, maybe take you to lunch…”

“I’m so sorry…” she whispered.

Feeling the way she seemed to want to disappear into his shoulder, he sighed and stroked her hair. “Alexandra, you have nothing to be sorry about. I wish I had shown up sooner.” He heard her stomach growl. “FRIDAY, would you please have a #23 and a #12 delivered from Mr. Chen’s establishment down the street?”

“With Thor Odinson’s favorite BBQ pork buns and spring rolls, Prince Loki?” the AI asked.

“I suppose we should include Thor… In that case, add a #8 with extra pancakes and a #19 as well.”

“Your order has been entered and security has been notified, Prince Loki.”

Feeling Alex curing up at his side, Loki lifted her so she was sideways sitting across his lap with her head against his chest. “When I was being held by the Chitauri…” he started, realizing that he hadn’t ever been so open about his past experiences with anyone. He took a breath for a moment.

“Loki?” Alex questioned, looking up to his face as he held her in such a caring embrace.

“When I was…” he said, sweeping her hair away from her face, “they had… persuaded me in certain ways…”

“_Persuaded_?” she whispered, knowing what he likely meant. “Loki…” she whispered, gazing at him. He was a _god_. She’d heard stories from Thor about bullets bouncing off of both of them. Yet he’d been _tortured._

He could see the care in her eyes as he nodded once in silence. Her hand stroked his cheek and he pulled it into his before kissing her fingertips. “I believe you understand what I mean when I say that the physical aspects of my mistreatment were more tolerable than the rest of it.” Seconds later, her arms were thrown around his shoulders and her face was pressed against his neck, her hot tears trailing down his skin.

“Yes,” she answered, her voice choked with emotion. “Hitting me a hundred times like he did today could never have hurt as much as the way he destroyed my hope, my self-respect, and my ability to trust in anyone before.”

Loki felt his eyes sting at her words. She had felt the same emotional destruction that he had felt, but she was a mortal being - not a god. Surely, it must have been even worse for her. The thought of someone doing that to her simultaneously enraged him and made his heart ache for her just a little more.

“Will you trust me, Alexandra?” he whispered in her ear as his hand smoothed through her long auburn waves. “I will _never_ harm you. From the moment I saw you, I had a need to protect you. I had no idea why, but it was incredibly strong.”

Alex had shifted on his lap, moving to straddle him as her hands came to rest on his jaw. “I already do. I have from the start, Loki,” she whispered before leaning in to kiss him.

He faintly groaned at her touch, the tenderness of her lips against his said so much that her words hadn’t. As he let his fingers slip into her hair and cup the back of her head, his other hand smoothed down her body until he was pressing her lower back toward him. She deepened the kiss until he was as breathless as she was, both of them finally pulling apart and gasping with desire.

Alex gazed at him and slipped her body closer to his, her hands moving down his neck to his chest before slipping around his body. She leaned in again and this time he could feel that she had less control than before as she kissed him hungrily.His hands slid to her hips and pulled her forward until he groaned at the feel of friction between them. He was drawn out of their shared lust when she gasped against his mouth, obviously having felt the way she’d aroused him.

“Alex…” he said as he brought his hands to her upper arms. “Alex, wait,” he added, pulling his lips from hers as she had only stopped kissing him long enough for him to speak. “Darling, stop.” Those words seemed to catch her attention, as she opened her eyes and rested her hands on his chest.

“Are you okay?” she asked quietly.

“Yes, but you’re not, Alex.” He kissed her cheek before nudging her back a little, just enough to relieve the friction and heat that she had been causing. “You’ve just had a traumatic moment. It would be wrong of me to take advantage of you in this state. This is the adrenaline that is currently coursing through your veins from what transpired a few minutes ago, not you.”

She sighed and rested her forehead on his shoulder. “You’re right…” she said quietly, breathing him in.Unable to resist, she faced him and pressed her lips to his once more, teasing his tongue as her hands slipped into his hair until he groaned. Then, she finally pulled away and moved off of his lap, taking the seat next to him and letting her body relax against the back of the couch. They were both breathing heavily as they stared forward, unfocused on anything in front of them. This was how Thor found them when he entered the apartment.

“Loki? Alexandra?” he said, cocking an eyebrow as they sat on the couch. He watched Loki’s hand briefly touch his lips and chin before falling to his lap. Alex, meanwhile, had awkwardly rubbed the back of her neck. Another moment passed before either of them noticed he was there.

“Am I interrupting something?” Thor asked, seeing the bit of rosiness on Alex’s cheeks and Loki’s increased respiration.

“No, of course not,” Alex finally said, looking over to him. “Loki was just healing me after what happened.” She reached over and grasped Loki’s hand as it rested on the couch between them.

“Food should be arriving shortly,” Loki added, “and I added your usual items to the order, if you would like to join us.”

Thor sat down in a nearby chair. “Tony is speaking with the police and security at the moment, but Charles was taken by the police a few minutes ago. He will not be bothering you again, Alex. I am sorry that I failed you after what happened last time.”

“It’s okay, Thor. Things happen. I’m sure Tony is ironing out whatever failed in the security protocols that allowed Charles to get into the building in the first place.” She looked over to Loki and turned up her lips ever so slightly. “Loki has been taking care of me. I’ll be fine.”

“Yes, you will,” Loki replied, squeezing her hand.

“Prince Loki, Tony Stark is—“ FRIDAY started, only to be interrupted when Tony waltzed through the doors carrying their takeout.

“It looks like there’s plenty to go around, so I thought I’d deliver this personally,” he said as he walked to the kitchen.

They all gathered around the kitchen bar, sorting through the fall-out of the day’s incidents as they ate. Tony and Thor had apologized multiple times, as the failure had apparently been after the last incident and a mistake in the security coding that resulted in a loophole that failed to block Charles from accessing Alex’s floor. After assuring Alex that Charles was more than likely headed to a prison cell for a short stay, Tony took a moment to configure FRIDAY to prevent the man from ever entering the building again before he left, wanting her to hear him do it. Once the last of the food was finished off by Thor, he gave her a hug and followed Tony out of the room to meet with the others.

“Thank you,” she said as she took a seat next to Loki on the couch, leaning against him, “for everything. I know you’ll say that there’s no need to thank you, but I still want to.”

He was quiet for a moment, merely humming in response against her hair. “Will you return home tonight? If you do not feel safe… I can sleep on the couch and you could take my bed.”

“As much as I want to stay here, we both know that I shouldn’t,” she replied, pulling back and looking at his face. “Like you said, I’m still amped up on adrenaline and… you’re too tempting.”

“Promise me that you will allow Stark to escort you home,” he whispered before kissing her hand. Though his natural inclination was to smirk at her admission, he held back.

“I will. He’ll probably sleep at my place tonight.” She paused, looking at him. “Don’t worry about anything happening between Tony and I. We’ve never had a ‘friends with benefits’ arrangement, not since the college break-up - besides, Pepper’s pregnant. Tony’s having his own freak-out right now and probably wants to curl up with scotch on my couch later.”

“When you put things in that perspective, I suppose he’s had a more eventful day than any of us…” Loki commented, following her lead as she seemed to prefer trying to get ‘back to normal’ rather than further discussing and processing of what had happened earlier. She would process things further on her own, that much was obvious.

“There aren’t little versions of you anywhere out there?” Alex asked, cocking her head inquisitively. “You’re like, what, 1500 years old? Surely you have a few somewhere.”

“Seidr has many uses,” he replied with a smirk. “While it has allowed me to avoid any surprise heirs, it also allows me to…”

Alex jumped in her seat as she felt a hand touch her cheek and guide her to look to the portion of the couch at her other side that _had_ been empty. It was Loki. But Loki was sitting… where he’d been sitting before. “I really should umm…” she said, looking at the second Loki again and seeing the spark of mischief in his eyes.

Loki laughed and caused the clone to disappear. “That never gets old…” he said as he got up from the couch and pulled Alex up with him, glad that he was able to change the conversation and amuse her. “But yes, you should probably go home and get some rest, darling.”


	8. Can I Stay?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alex takes her mind off of the day by comforting a nervous Tony, but she can't avoid the changes that have happened in her relationship with Loki.

“You don’t have to stay, Tony,” Alex said as she opened the door of her apartment and they went inside. “Really, I’ll be okay.”

He followed her into the kitchen with a bottle of tequila and a bag of junk food. “We’re gonna do this like back in college, Lex. You know how we always seemed to cheer each other up. A few drinks, unhealthy food, and some movies. Maybe bitch a bit about things, but otherwise let each other forget about life’s bullshit.”

Alex sighed. She was the one who’d been through the drama, yet it was Tony who still needed his hand held. “I promise, I’m fine.”

Tony pretended not to hear her, getting some ice in glasses before pouring them each a shot and splashing on a tiny bit of orange juice. “Might be a bit less OJ than back in our early days and there’s no grenadine…” he said with a grin before handing her a glass. “I know you’re fine, Alex. I’m….”

“Not?” she questioned, clinking glasses with him before they each had a sip.“As Loki said, you had a more intense day than the rest of us, when you look at the lasting impact.”

“Yeah…” he said as he sat down on a nearby bar stool. “If I admit that I’m terrified to go home, can I stay here tonight?”

“You just admitted it. There’s nothing for me to gain now, Tony!” she said, sitting next to him and poking his side.

“Fine, fine… a one-week vacation on my dime,” he relented. “Better?”

“Ten days.”

“Yes, you win, okay?” he said, running a hand over his face before downing the rest of his drink.

“Hmm… where should I go?” she wondered aloud, smiling at him. “Ten days on an all-expenses-paid trip…”

“A spa sounds pretty nice,” Tony joined in. “I could use a massage. I swear, as soon as Pep said the words, I felt like every muscle in my shoulders and neck tightened up.”

“Put on a movie and take your shirt off, I’ll be right back,” Alex said as she cleared away their glasses.

“What _kind_ of movie?” Stark joked, wiggling his eyebrows.

“Not _that _kind,” she answered.

Eventually, Tony settled on an old sci-fi series they’d once watched and got on the couch on his stomach. Alex put on some old pajama pants and a camisole before she gave him a massage, which was apparently so good that he promptly fell asleep. She was happy about that, as taking care of Tony was actually more work than she really wanted at the moment. She sent a text to Pepper from his phone to let her know that he’d had fallen asleep after a few too many celebratory cocktails and then decided to let him sleep off the extra shots of tequila he’d had earlier on the couch.Alex headed to her bedroom and curled up in the comfort of her bed and the near person-sized body pillow that was often draped across it. She glanced at her phone on the nightstand and smiled as she saw a name appear in a notification on her screen.

_Loki: Are you still awake? I do hope you are feeling better._

Alex smiled, since the message hadn’t been sent more than ten minutes ago. He was likely still around.

_Alexandra: I’ve been able to calm down and work through it. Tony finally fell asleep on the couch._

_Loki: Does that mean that you are all alone in your bed?_

He was very gently flirting and she couldn’t help but want to join in. The moments that they’d tempted each other in his apartment lingered on her mind. 

_Alexandra: It’s just me and BOB. _

She wondered if he had any knowledge of the acronym. Even though she didn’t have a vibrator in her bed at the moment, it was amusing to tease him.

Loki was in his bed at the Tower when he read her message, but shot up to his feet immediately, dressing himself with his seidr in seconds. Whoever this “BOB” fellow was, he was about to be forcibly removed from what Loki imagined was a very comfortable bed and, quite possibly, the man would be missing a few choice parts.

_Loki: Tell him that he would do well to escort himself from your apartment immediately. I will be there in five minutes._

Alex laughed at first, then realized that he did not understand that she had been joking.

_Alexandra: Loki, BOB is short for “battery operated boyfriend” on Midgard. There’s no one here with me._

Loki stared at the screen, confused until he recalled a conversation he’d overheard between Natasha and Pepper a few months earlier. Realizing what Alex was actually up to, he smirked and responded.

_Loki: May _ ** _I_ ** _ join you?_

Whether either of them actually intended to _do_ anything of that nature was inconsequential. He wanted to see what she’d say, whether she would want his company in such circumstances.

Alex looked at the ceiling for a moment. She had to admit that she wanted him to join her, even though the thought was still rather terrifying. At the same time, Tony was right. She couldn’t hide herself away with work forever and, deep down, she found herself craving Loki’s company. She didn’t want to fall for him and find out later that he was also the God of One Night Stands.

_Alexandra: Loki, what do you want in your life?_

He knew where her question was coming from. He’d been there before, felt those feelings before - wondering if someone actually felt him worthy or if it was some kind of joke to use him for his position and all it afforded him. Vulnerability was not something he enjoyed, yet with her it somehow came… well, not as difficultly, at least. He could talk to her without fear of mockery or judgment. He could listen to her and be kind, thoughtful, and attentive to her needs without worrying that she would use it against him later.

He knew she did not want to be a damsel in distress or a little injured bird, but there was something almost comforting in the way that she, too, was still healing old emotional wounds. He enjoyed taking care of her. He struggled _not _to think of her. He found reasons to be near her because she made him feel things he hadn’t felt in many, many years, the same things that they were both afraid of, even if she didn’t know he shared in her apprehension of falling in love with someone. Well, he _had_ shared it until very recently. He shook his head with a smile, surprised he was about to send what he had just typed.

_Loki: You._

Alex’s heart was racing as she read the words. She was about to type an answer when another message appeared.

_Loki: Trust me._

She went into the living room to check on Tony, only to find that he’d obviously been sober enough to have briefly woken up and folded out the couch’s hidden bed. He was now sleeping peacefully.

_Alexandra: I will be there in ten minutes._

She stared at the screen after sending the message, surprised that she’d taken the leap. However, her reflection was cut short by a firm knock on the door. She looked through the peephole and saw Loki standing outside.There was a part of her that needed the time that the cab ride would have taken, the part that needed to reconcile her actions and desires with her need to protect her stability and security.She looked out the peephole again and was met by Loki’s soft gaze. He wasn’t staring or glaring or pressuring her. His eyes were pleading silently for her to let him in.

When she opened the door, Loki stopped himself from approaching her first and let her take the lead. As much as he longed to kiss her, lift her into his arms, and take her to bed, he knew that he needed to take a different approach to build her trust. He could see Stark splayed out on the fold-out couch and grinned, raising a finger to his lips to indicate that he would be quiet.

“When he’s out, it takes a lot to wake him,” she said quietly, stepping aside to let him in before closing the door behind him after he’d moved into the room. She momentarily leaned against the door, her forehead resting on it as her hand remained on the handle, locking it and then the deadbolt. There were so many thoughts in her head that she hadn’t had those precious minutes to sort through before he arrived. She’d confessed, he’d reciprocated. She was going to go to him, he showed up at her door. She felt scared, but he was so confident and reassuring. Whatever was going to happen between them had already been set into motion. She tried her best to let go of the worries about starting something - it was here and now everything was about to change. 

Loki stepped towards her, standing behind her with his hands pressed against the door at her sides. He moved closer, letting his front rest against her back as his hands shifted first to her hips, then to wrap around her body in a calm, reassuring hug. “Trust me,” he said softly near her ear. Intentionally, he kept his touches affectionate but not erotic, needing to show her that she was in control.“Although he is asleep, I would appreciate the privacy of your room - even if we only talk and sleep.”

Alex turned around in his arms and looked at his face as she rested her back against the door. His eyes were surprisingly clear, but had the little glimmer they sometimes had when he was pleased with something. His handsome features were relaxed and his inner calm seemed almost contagious. She wondered how he managed to have such an effect on her.“You’re right. This way,” she replied, taking his hand into hers and leading him toward her bedroom.

He could feel the nervousness coursing through her from the touch of her hand alone. Following her into her room, he closed the door behind them quietly. As he was just pausing to collect his thoughts, still trying to decide what he wanted to say, he felt her tug him toward the bed. It wasn’t motivated by sexual desire or feeling pushed into it, but seemed more like she simply wanted him near her for his company. People who wanted his company had been few and far between in his many years, so her intimate request sent a feeling of warmth through him.

Alex let go of his hand, climbed onto the bed, and rested on her side, facing the middle of it. “Come on,” she said, smiling as the man actually managed to look surprised by her. “I don’t bite.”

“Of course… but I’m sure that comes later,” he said jokingly to help ease the tension, “and then what will I tell the others when I show up with your teeth marks scattered all over my body?” He listened to her laugh as he moved next to her, facing her, so close that their heads were resting on the same pillow.“At least you told your boyfriend to leave, else we’d have had another explanation to come up with for Stark,” he quipped with a playful smirk.

“I wasn’t actually… doing anything,” she whispered, “you know, earlier.”

“That is rather unfortunate,” he replied, reaching over to tuck her hair behind her ear, “I would have liked to have found out what you were thinking about during…”He watched her cheeks rapidly blush a lovely pink in response, her eyes quite conspicuously looking to his shoulder rather than his face.

Alex bit her lower lip lightly as she felt his fingertips sweep down her cheek and jaw until they were under her chin, causing her face to tilt up toward Loki’s. Her eyes met his for a moment, taking in the way they’d sharpened and grew deeper from their earlier light, sea-like clarity. She felt her heart rate increase as he leaned closer to her, his whispers heatedly tickling her ear and neck.

“Have you, perhaps,” he whispered with a smirk, making her wait an extra second just to create anticipation, “thought of me?” He breathed in the scent of her hair, and closed his eyes to focus his other senses.

“Maybe…” she answered, allowing her hands to rest against his chest after he had shifted closer to her. A shiver ran through her as she felt his lips on her neck, pressing where she knew he could feel her heart beating fast.

“You realize that I will know if you are lying,” he smirked against her neck she responded to his touch, giving him better access as she let out the softest, most enticing little gasp. His lips began at the base of her neck and traveled upward, pressing soft kisses on her skin until he reached her earlobe, which he very, very gently nibbled. “Yes or no, Alexandra?” he questioned as she giggled very briefly and squirmed slightly in his arms, clearly ticklish where he had touched. “Have you thought of me during moments of pleasure?”

Alex felt him nudge her onto her back and complied, faintly gasping again as he moved to the other side of her neck and repeated his teasingly slow moves. “…Yes,” she answered, her eyes closing as she heard him make a low, satisfied hum as he dragged his lips up her neck. She inhaled his scent - the leather that lingered on him from his armor and clothing, the spicy and woody notes, and the delicious, lust-provoking scent that was his alone. “Loki…” she sighed, placing her hands on his chest after initially hesitating.

Loki softly groaned as her hands slid down his body until she reached the hem of his shirt and reversed her direction. Her fingers made contact with the skin on his abdomen and seemed to take an agonizingly long time to move upward, pushing his clothing along asthey took little detours to trace the over the lines and ridges of the muscles. Though Midgardians in general were gentler than others in moments like these, he’d never had someone touch him so tenderly.

“Did you think of touching me as you are right now?” he asked, nibbling her earlobe on this side as he had the other. He knew the answer to his question, it was obvious from the way her hands were moving, but he wanted to her to admit to herself that she had feelings for him.

“Yes,” she replied, opening her eyes to look in his direction. Her fingertips trailed over the hard muscles of his chest, feeling the strength that was under the surface of his lean form. She moved them to tease his nipples before her palms smoothed over his broad chest and nudged his arms up. 

“Am I as you imagined?” he asked, taking off his shirt and watching her face as her hands resumed wandering over his bare torso. Wanting to give her more to explore, he moved to straddle her legs and held his body above hers. She quickly took advantage of the opportunity, her hands sliding from his front to his back, where they resumed their investigation; he contained the sound that wanted to erupt from his throat, as he was sure that the timbre of his lust would frighten her.

Alex looked up to him, blushing at the way he so clearly enjoyed her attention and the way he was caging her into her position on the bed. With her arms already around him, she tugged him down until he was chest to chest with her. He didn’t seem ready to stop teasing, so she moved her head to whisper in his ear. “You’re far better than what I imagined,” she whispered, practically _hearing_ the smile appear on his face.

“In your lewd fantasies of shirtless, magnificent _me_…” he said teasingly as he pulled back enough to look at her face, “what were we doing, my darling?”

His playfulness made her feel comfortable when his good looks could have very easily overwhelmed her. She reached up and ran her fingers through his hair, feeling the little grin appear on her face as she thought of the last imaginings she’d had of him. “Tony had told me to meet him in the training room, but when I arrived… he was nowhere to be found. Instead, you were there, training against illusions.”

He hadn’t been expecting to hear a story. “Go on,” he said, slipping to her side and propping his head up on one hand as the other rested on her opposite hip to encourage her to turn toward him.

“You know that you’re impressive, all those knives flying and magic and tricks…” she said, taking his hint and moving onto her side.

“Am I?” he asked, pretending to be oblivious as she blushed. “Me?”

“I’ve only seen you in action a couple times, but I was certainly impressed,” she answered. Pausing, she moved closer to him, enjoying the way his hand instinctively moved from her hip to her lower back. “Anyway… I complimented you and asked you to show me how to throw one of your knives.”

“…and I _let you_?” he questioned, pulling back enough to look at her incredulously. The sound of her laugh made him break into a smile.

“Oh, you more than merely let me,” she said, her fingers trailing up his chest and neck until she touched his chin to angle his face toward hers. “You stepped behind me, pressed your body against my back, and proceeded to take me through the motions. You were guiding me into position and then your hands would join mine to throw. I could feel your breathing change and I thought that you were getting turned on…”

He wasn’t about to admit that he’d had the same thought on more than one occasion while training.“Then what?” he asked, moving down until he pressed his lips to hers for a brief kiss before letting her continue.

“I turned around and you kissed me - hard - right there in the gym, with absolutely no warning. Before your knives could hit the ground, we were working your shirt off.” She looked up at him expectantly, getting a smirk in return.

“I’m sorry, is this my cue?” he asked with a smirk before suddenly pulling her closer and kissing her hungrily. “Like this?” he hissed between kisses, their mouths opening and exploring as her hands slid up his chest and held the back of his neck, toying with his hair.

She gasped against his mouth as his hand pulled her body against him until she couldn’t move an inch. Despite his passion, he was not in a rush as his fingers slipped under her camisole and up her back, tugging it upward. When his fingers hit a spot that was ticklish, she giggled against him and felt him smile. She opened her eyes and let her hands cup his jaw as she looked at his face, studying the smile lines that appeared near his mouth and eyes and the way everything about him seemed lighter. He was so very different from the first time they’d met in the elevator.

“Loki, did you mean what you said earlier?” she asked. Every bit of her wanted to trust him and to follow wherever he led her, but she had heard so many stories from Thor. She wasn’t sure exactly what she needed to hear from him to believe, but she knew she needed to give him a chance.

He saw the worry flicker in her eyes. They were enjoying themselves so much. He’d been making so much progress! She couldn’t be pushing him away now, could she? Taking a breath, he relaxed his hold and then moved his hands to grasp hers and pull them to his lips.

“You know, about what you wanted in life?” She watched him kiss her hands a few more times before he finally spoke. He must’ve been searching for words.


	9. A Revelation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A little mischief by Frigga has gone a long way.

“I’m sure every parent probably tells their child at some point in time that they will find what they need when they least expect it,” he said, looking down at her hands as he held them, “but my mother was beyond gifted in the use of seidr and was also able to see into the future.She wasn’t supposed to share it, but she always enjoyed sprinkling hints here and there, like a trail to keep me moving forward.”

Alex’s eyebrows rose and her eyes opened larger in surprise. She reminded herself that he was, in fact, a god. He was still looking down at their hands. “It’s okay, you can say whatever it is.” He looked so fragile all of a sudden. “Loki?”

“Do you promise not to run out the door?” he asked, nervously studying her face.

“I’m not going anywhere,” she whispered, giving him a soft smile.

“I have been drawn to you from the moment I saw you,” he explained, stroking his thumbs over the tops of her hands.

“I could say the same about you,” Alex said, watching as he smiled nervously. “You are quite charismatic when you want to be.”

He kissed her hands and held them there, his eyes meeting hers again as he breathed his words against her skin. “You have a birthmark on the sole of your left foot.”

“What does that have to do with anything?” she asked, her face reflecting the confusion she felt.

“You have three freckles in the shape of an equilateral triangle just under your right breast.” He looked at her, knowing that she had no excuse to offer for his statement.

She opened her mouth but didn’t know what to say. He had no reason to know that about her.

“There is a long, thin scar on the back of one of your thighs.”

“Loki…” she whispered as she stared at him, half fearing that he’d been stalking her and half in disbelief.

“Are those things true?” he asked, watching as she nodded. He closed his eyes for a moment.

“Yes.”

His heart was pounding in his chest and he could not keep the smile from appearing on his face. Thinking back, he pieced together all the little things he’d stored away as mere curiosities over the years. “I’ve had flashes of you in my dreams.”

“I’ve had dreams about you, too,” she replied. “Dreams are dreams, we all have them.”

“I saw your markings hundreds of years before you were born, Alexandra.”

“That’s impossible…” she said as she pulled back from him.

“Precisely my point, dear. Those flashes of you over the many years had no reason to be there. I didn’t know they were you until now and it is beyond mere coincidence that they are accurate on such intimate details.”

“Are you seriously saying that you think your mother put them there because she saw something more?” she sat on the bed and looked at him, wrapping her arms around her bent legs before her.

“I didn’t realize it until making the connections just now,” he whispered, hesitating to reach for her despite wanting nothing more than to be closer to her right now. “It is the only logical explanation. I do not have the ability to weave time the way she did.”

She paused for a moment, considering whether she really wanted to know the answers to the questions his comments raised. “You’ve probably seen my foot, but what about the other two things? How did you know I had those?”

He could sense she felt invaded or like she was suddenly at a disadvantage. “They were guesses. I didn’t know they were you, but it was the only way to test the theory.”

“I didn’t ask why you told me, I asked how you knew. What did you see?”

“The scar,” he said, moving closer to her to see if she would permit him there, “it was some sort of sporting accident. I can’t recall more than that.”

“Ice skating,” she added as he sat next to her, his shoulder touching hers. It felt strange for him to have known her already, even if it was bits and pieces. He wasn’t a stalker, she knew that, but in the modern world it was one of the first thoughts most women would probably have in such a situation, with all the world’s peeping Toms, hackers, and plain old weird guys lurking about.

“Oh, that’s what the shiny bits were!” he said, suddenly recalling a bit more of what he’d seen. “Someone lost control and crashed into you, but sliced your thigh when she tried to avoid it.”

She looked over at him, amazed by what he was telling her. “Yeah, pretty much exactly that.” Feeling him slip his arm around her back, she expected to feel uneasy, but was surprised when she didn’t. Instead, she turned into him and he drew her onto his lap.

“I knew that I wanted you in my life because you have already been there, I have already loved you,” he admitted, wrapping his arms around her body to pull her closer, bringing her astride his lap.

“Say that again?” she questioned, drawing her face back to look at his. “You _already_ loved me?” The implicit statement - that he also loved her _now_ \- sent a chill through her. He couldn’t. It was too soon. He didn’t know her well enough to love her. She didn’t…Her thoughts were disrupted by his touch.

He placed his palms on her jawline and drew her in for a kiss. “I have seen something that has not happened yet.”

“How do you know it’s not just a dream?” she asked as she drew her lips from his.

“We had not met yet and it could not have been a fantasy. It was not something I would have fantasized about. Nonetheless, I could feel that I was in love with the woman… very much so.”

Alex felt her cheeks grow warm. “Will you at least tell me how you knew about the freckles?”

“It is rather hard to ignore such a thing when faced with your deliciously full, soft breasts,” he whispered, relieved that she seemed to be coming around after emotionally withdrawing for a bit.

“You aren’t going to tell me what you saw in the future, are you?” she asked as his hands gently moved up and down her back, smoothing over her camisole.

He sighed and let his forehead rest against hers. “If I tell you, it might not happen.”

“But _you _know already. That, in and of itself, might have already altered the future. It already might not happen.”

Drawing back, he tilted his head, surprised by her statement. “You know of alternate timelines?”

Alex giggled. “I’ve watched Star Trek, I know the basic rules. One thing could ripple though time and could change everything moving forward, so if you find yourself back in time you shouldn’t do anything to change what happens… but…” she said, looking to him for a moment before continuing. “Maybe I’m supposed to know. Maybe my _not_ knowing will result in it not happening. Wouldn’t you rather have me know and let us have the _ability _to make it happen?”

“I suppose this is what I get for falling in love with an attorney…” he whispered, kissing the tip of her nose. “My arguments will need to improve.”

Hearing the words out loud rather than having them implied made Alex feel anxious. “Loki…”

He felt the change in her and pulled her into a hug, sensing the swirling emotions. “Shh… there is no need to be afraid, darling. I promise that you can trust me.”

Alex placed her head on his shoulder and let him hold her with his tender yet firm embrace. Her hands rested on his chest for a moment before she accepted his affectionate touches and slipped her palms around his sides and onto his back. “I don’t know how to do this…” she whispered in response.

“If you _want _to do this, I will help you learn how,” he replied, moving an arm upward until he could smooth down her long hair with his hand. “I am, admittedly, still learning myself.”

She felt him rest his cheek against her head. This was the man who had made her feel beautiful in the midst of one of Tony’s galas filled with supermodels, the man who shared some of his own worst moments with her, who had been patient with her, kind to her, and gentle toward her in every way. “Okay…” she whispered toward his neck. “Yes, I want to.”

Loki had been about to respond to let her know that he would respectfully retreat to his lodgings at the tower and leave her alone when she finally said the words. “You… do?” he said, somewhat surprised.

Alex smiled as she managed to pull back and look at his face. “I see what you mean about learning,” she said before kissing his lips sweetly, knowing that he still felt unworthy in many ways. “You’ve had lovers, but not loves.”

“Which do you wish to be?” he questioned.

“Love, definitely love.”


	10. Where Do You Keep Your Coffee?

“Ugggggggghhhh…” Tony groaned as he woke up on the fold-out couch. He looked around the room and realized he was at Alex’s apartment. After checking his watch, he got out of bed, headed to the bathroom to take a leak, and then opened her bedroom door.

“Alex, where do you keep your coffee?” he said before his eyes moved to her bed and he saw her entwined with none other than the Dark Lord himself.“Holy shit. Alex! What the fuck!?” he said as he noticed a dagger hovering near his head.

“Hmm?” she hummed, barely rousing enough to do so.

Loki’s arms tightened around the woman in front of him as he growled softly, still half asleep. “Leave or die, Stark.”

He kissed Alex’s forehead before guiding her back against his chest as he heard her stirring. “Rest, love,” he whispered before using his seidr to send a second dagger to hover near Tony’s head quite menacingly.

“Yeah, yeah, I’m going…” Tony chuckled then shook his head. He knew it would happen sooner or later, given all the time the two of them had been spending together. After closing the door, he threw his clothes on over the boxers he’d managed to keep on last night and winced as he looked at his phone and saw four messages from Pepper. “Shit…”

He quickly scrawled out a note to let Alex know he’d left for home, then walked the short distance to the tower. Still a bit hung over, he grabbed two coffees and croissants on the way. By the time Tony had arrived in his penthouse and began dealing with his own issues, he almost entirely forgot about what he’d witnessed that morning.

After Stark’s interruption, the two of them had drifted back to sleep. Loki woke again less than an hour later, a soft groan as he felt her body pressed against him. _Too tight, _he thought of his pants as she wiggled against his groin. Not thinking, he used his seidr to disrobe and, while he was at it, ensured that his bedmate was similarly comfortable. He hadn’t yet opened his eyes, preferring to enjoy his other senses first.

“Mmm… good morning,” he said with a slightly rougher voice than usual. He smiled as his arms were pulled tighter around the curving, alluring figure in front of him. Enjoying the sensations of her skin against his own, he nuzzled against her neck from behind and gently squeezed her again. She was so soft and smooth, a delight for his senses as he closed his eyes and let his hands wander a bit.

This sort of thing had been a rarity in his many years, as allowing a lover to stay the night was more than frowned upon for royalty in Asgard _-_ it was forbidden. Of course, he’d dared to break that rule one or two times, but even _he_ knew the dangerousness of flouting that particular one. Thor had allowed a lover to remain in his bed once, only to have Odin storm in the following morning and cast the poor girl into… well, no one was really sure _where_ she’d been sent, but they knew it wasn’t nice.

Alex’s eyes opened as she felt the arms around her move and the hands smooth over her skin. Her memory was slightly foggy from the night before, but she remembered Tony having been there… with tequila. _Oh no… oh no, no, no…_ she thought as she felt the arms draw her back against a hard body. Her eyes moved down to look at the pale arms that were caging her in and sighed in relief. _It’s just Loki…_

Loki’s eyes opened when he heard her gasp. “There you are, love,” he said quietly, kissing her shoulder.

“Oh my god… Loki!” she suddenly whispered, squirming in his arms. “Did we…?”

He hushed her and kept his grip firm, moving her to face him. “No, we did not make love,” he replied, his lips wandering her cheek.

She realized she was naked a moment later and, another moment later, that he was naked as well. Not just naked, either; he was aroused and she felt him pressing against her lower abdomen.His hands were resting on the small of her back and between her shoulder blades, leaving little room between them. She couldn’t recall the last time she’d been held so intimately.

“Yet…” Loki whispered in her ear before kissing his way back over her jaw until he could brush his lips against hers. He knew that he was taking a risk by initiating anything at the moment, but after piecing together everything he’d seen over the hundreds of years, he wanted her more than ever.

Alex gasped slightly at the word, giving him an opportunity to kiss her more deeply, their lips meeting in a slow caress. His hand left her back and moved to her arm, sliding upward from her shoulder to her neck with a surprisingly light touch. A soft sigh of pleasure escaped her as his palm cupped her jaw and he held her there, his thumb stroking her cheek as he smiled against her mouth. She placed her hands on his chest and enjoyed the moment, feeling his heart beating steadily. It had been ages since she last experienced the feelings that he inspired in her.

Loki drew back enough for their eyes to meet and let his hand stroke through her hair before wandering down to rest on her side. It had been some time since he recalled her looking this well-rested; a part of him wondered whether his presence had contributed to her radiance. “Beautiful…” he said, his hand softly stroking the curve from her waist to her hip.

She was used to seeing him at the office, where he was known for his fastidious appearance - never a hair out of place and always well-dressed. It was impossible not to smile at the sight of him now. He was so relaxed and the tension that often hovered around him was gone. “I like the hair,” she said quietly, her fingers pushing the now-wavy black strands away from his face, “and the voice…”

He softly laughed and kissed her cheek again before moving to her ear. “Perhaps I will leave it this way more often,” he said, a slight smirk appearing for a brief second, “so you will have no choice but to recall this moment.”

“Oh?” She smoothed her hands over his chest and let her fingers wander. “Is this a _special_ moment?”

She was playing coy with him and he tried to hold back the grin that threatened to appear on his face. He had always loved the playfulness of their conversations and he knew that her ability to play this way meant that she was comfortable. “Very special,” he whispered in her ear before drawing back enough to look at her face. “One might say it is a momentous occasion.”

Thinking that he was being playfully cocky, she pecked his lips. “Why’s that?” she questioned, expecting him to allude to something related to what he planned to do with the rather sizable erection that was still pressed against her.

Loki ran his fingers over her arm until he reached her hand and drew it to his lips. “Today is the day you will admit to yourself that you are falling in love with me,” he whispered over her knuckles.

“Loki…” she said cautiously, letting him hold her hand against his chest. “I thought you said you couldn’t tell me the future you saw.”

“I told you what you already know to be true.”

“You know more, though,” she said, watching as his eyes glinted blue and green as he shifted his gaze. Her free hand touched his cheek. “Don’t you?”

He leaned into her touch, eyes closed, feeling the affection she had for him. “Please, let it be,” he said, feeling his voice faltering.

Alex relaxed against him. “You haven’t had many nice things to look forward to, have you?” she asked as she watched his features relax with her touch.

“Which is why I will not risk this,” he whispered, opening his eyes and finding her there, her grey eyes softened with the emotions that were there. He brought her hand to his lips again.

Just as Loki’s lips were slowly traveling up her arm, her phone began playing “Iron Man” from the nightstand. She winced, closing her eyes momentarily, then opened them to look at the man she expected to appear upset. “I’m sorry,” she whispered.

“Shh…” he hushed, bringing the phone over to them so that she could answer. “There’s no need to move.”

She blushed as he winked at her playfully. “Behave… this might be business…” she said, suddenly realizing that it was Wednesday.

“Alex, where are you?” Tony said as soon as she answered the phone. “I know you and the Dark Lord must be tired, but you’re late for the meeting!”

“Shit…” she said, attempting to climb out of bed, “I’m sorry, Tony. It was a long night with you, the tequila, the other tequila, and then…”

Loki watched her slip away toward the other side of the bed and grasped one of her ankles before she could escape, smirking at her when she looked back at him questioningly.

She could hear other voices in the background where Tony was, but they didn’t sound like business people. They were too jovial, particularly for morning. Sunny, even. “Tony? Where are you?” she asked, almost dropping her phone as Loki drew her back toward him, grasping her second ankle when she landed back on the bed.

_If Stark wishes to interrupt our morning, then he will have to deal with the consequences,_ Loki thought as Alex arrived in the middle of the bed on her stomach. He took a moment to admire the view of her body. Long, shapely legs led up to her hips and the soft cheeks of her bottom, drawing his eyes up further to her waist, up her spine… He licked his lips as he thought of all the things he’d like to do next as he sat near her feet, attempting to downplay the fact that he was quite aroused already.

“Alex!” another voice bellowed into the phone. It could only be one person. “This is Thor, God of Thunder.”

Loki and Alex both grumbled and rolled their eyes. _Did he really need to introduce himself that way?_ “I am going to kill Tony,” she said marginally faster than Loki echoed.

“and Thor…” Loki grumbled before giving up any semblance of decorum and covering Alex’s body with his, holding himself up as his lips moved up her spine, slowly covering the distance from her waist to the back of her neck as he listened to her breathing hitch and felt a slight shudder run through her. As Alex turned on the speakerphone, it sounded as if Tony was throwing a morning party in the background.

“Alexandra, did I just hear someone else’s voice in the background?” Thor questioned.

“It’s the TV!” she quickly replied. Thor chuckled heartily.

“Brother, I would know your scoff of annoyance anywhere…” Thor said, a bit of teasing in his cheery tone. “Stark mentioned that you were _visiting_ our lovely Miss Atherton when he left this morning.”

“_My_ lovely Alexandra, Thor. _Not_ yours,” Loki said, feeling a surge of possessiveness, “and most certainly _not_ Stark’s.” He was running out of patience for this phone call.

Alex gasped suddenly as Loki lowered his body against hers enough for her to feel his aroused length pressed against one side of her bottom and his mouth hungrily exploring the other side of her neck. A shiver went through her as she felt his tongue slip over her skin and his body grind a tiny bit against her. She heard Loki’s naughty-sounding little chuckle and could swear that every inch of her blushed.

“Am I interrupting?” Thor asked, his voice giving away the grin that was on his face.

Loki grabbed the phone from Alex’s hand and hung up on Thor. “Not anymore,” he commentedwith a smirk before sending it to the nightstand with seidr.

“Loki…” Alex whispered, desire in her voice as she felt his body caging hers against the bed. She felt vulnerable and exposed, but instead of feeling nervous or wanting to flee, the sensations of the weight of him, the hardness of his body against hers, and his lips moving over her skin felt reassuring and arousing.

He stilled himself and kissed her shoulder again. “Alexandra, I do not want to rush you,” he whispered, “but every fiber of my being aches for you… to be with you… inside you.”He felt her hand touch his cheek and his heart pounded in his chest just a little harder. “If you would rather—“ he said, stopping when her finger pressed against his lips to silence him.

“You’re not rushing me,” she responded, just as softly, allowing him more access to her neck and sighing as he nuzzled there. She could feel the way his chest expanded with each breath he took and the way his thighs rested outside her own as he remained over her.The faint remnants of his cologne and his own scent surrounded her and she breathed it in, feeling at ease despite her increasing desire for him.

Loki backed off enough to turn her onto her back and looked down at her face. “Love, not lover,” he whispered before kissing her softly and almost chastely. “Yes?”

His kiss was so sweet and gentle that she didn’t want him to stop as he looked down at her again. “Yes,” she replied, smiling as she ran her fingers through his wavy black hair. One of her legs nudged his and he took the hint, moving his body between her thighs as he held himself above her.

“I have longed to worship you this way,” he said as he let himself rest against her, feeling the heat radiate from her core, “to please you in every way a god can.” His lips found hers again and he groaned as she responded with the same passion, her hands moving from his hair to his shoulders as she held onto him and pulled him against her. He rocked his hips against her, causing his length to grind against the softness between her thighs. A growl of desire escaped his lips as he felt her already slick for him. “Tell me what you need, love.”

Alex looked up at him, feeling a strange ache for something she couldn’t quite describe. “I need… I need to… touch you.” She gently moved a hand from his shoulder to his forehead and rested it there, unsure of why. When her palm came to a standstill on his skin, she heard his breathing stutter and saw his eyes widen before a sudden flurry of images rushed through her mind.

Loki stared at her, shocked that somehow she was now seeing _everything_ in his memory. He felt her reaction to seeing the things he’d endured before his attempt to conquer Midgard, the sudden compassion and empathy almost overwhelming him. The look on her face as she saw various memories from his childhood soothed him and filled him with warmth. He could feel her getting closer to Frigga’s sneaky images. Ice skating, the birthmark on her foot after she’d removed her heels on the floor of his apartment, and, finally, the memory that gave away how he knew of the freckles under her breast. He watched as her jaw dropped and her eyes stared up into his.

“Loki, you fiend!” she said with a sudden laugh as she removed her hand from his forehead and slipped it through his hair to guide his lips to hers.

“It… wasn’t… my… fault!” he said against her lips between her playful kisses.

Alex kissed him one last time and sighed as she let her head fall back onto the bed, drawing him down with her so that his head was resting on her upper chest near her shoulder. “That was what you didn’t want to tell me, wasn’t it?” she asked, resting her hands on his upper back.

“…Yes…” he said quietly, once again feeling like the young prince who’d been caught sneaking treats from the kitchen staff a few too many times.

When she looked to his face, she grinned at the sight. “You’re blushing…” she whispered, letting her hand stroke his cheek. “It’s very cute.”

He suddenly wished that he could change into his Jotun form just to avoid the pink that decorated his cheeks. “I am not _cute_, I am a dark and mischievous god.”

“Why can’t you be cute _and _ridiculously sexy _and _smart _and _dangerous _and_ a dark and mischievous god?” she questioned, smiling as he lifted his head and stared down at her face.

Loki narrowed his eyes and studied her for a moment. “_Ridiculously_ _sexy_?” he asked, smirking.

Alex rolled her eyes playfully. “You know you are, don’t even try to deny it,” she said as he propped himself up on his forearms, caging her in again. It was as if he put every single drop of sexy he had into the look he gave her.

He watched as she slowly succumbed to the way he stared at her. She had been gorgeous as they woke, but the soft blush coming over her face and the growing lust in her eyes made it impossible for him to attempt to ignore his desire for her any longer.“Shh, my goddess,” he hushed, pressing his lips to hers briefly as he shifted his body and aligned himself with her and rested there, needing to feel her respond to him.

When he pulled his lips from hers, she wrapped her legs around him and focused on his eyes, watching him as he stared back at her. He pushed inside slowly; she quietly gasped as he continued until he was fully inside her, their bodies pressed against each other. “Loki,” she whispered, letting her arms wrap around his body so that she could feel the muscles of his upper back. Her channel was throbbing around him, adjusting to the way he filled her so completely. It wasn’t painful, but it was rather overwhelming. The look on Loki’s face told her that he must’ve felt the same, as he seemed to be struggling to control himself.

“Yes, love?” he asked, relieved by the distraction of words. She felt incredibly good and the way she was repeatedly squeezing him was enough to almost send him careening toward release like some inexperienced boy having his first dalliance. The look on her face was one of pure affection and it was utterly disarming, only adding to his desire.

Her body wasn’t the only thing struggling to adjust to new sensations. The feelings flooding through her were all of the big, terrifying, life-changing… wonderful, tender, heart-fluttering things that she was afraid to feel. She moved her arms until her hands were resting on the backs of his shoulders and pulled him until he moved closer and kissed her neck, then felt her nuzzle against his.

“Breathe, Alex,” he whispered, feeling her tense grip. “Have I hurt you? Do you want to stop?” he asked, needing to know that she was at least physically okay.

“No, no, it’s not that… _that _feels…” she whispered, smiling against the crook of his neck. “_You_ feel better than anything I’ve ever felt.” She could feel the heat that had risen up on her cheeks at the admission.

He held himself up on one arm and used his other hand to touch her cheek as she allowed herself to stop hiding her face against his neck. “Then why are there tears in your eyes?” he questioned, pressing a kiss to her forehead.

“You’re right…” she answered, “You’re absolutely right…”

Just as he was about to speak, his words were interrupted by a sudden rush of words and emotions that seemed to radiate from her.

“I’m already in love with you and I haven’t felt anything like this in _years_ and I don’t know if I can trust myself with these feelings and the only thing I want to do is give in and feel everything that you make me feel and I think, no, I _know, _that I would - that I do - want to do that with you-“ she rattled off so quickly that she had to stop and take a breath.

Loki replayed her words in his head in the few seconds she spent catching her breath. He pressed his finger to her lips and whispered, “Shh… We can sort everything out afterward, darling, but right now, I want you to do two things. Yes?” He waited for her to nod before continuing. “Let yourself feel everything right now…” he said, pausing to gently touch her chin and cause her to look him in the eyes, “… and trust me to catch you if you start to fall.”

Alex felt him move down onto his forearms, sliding them under her until his hands were under her shoulders and she had had no choice but to move as well. She slipped her palms up his chest, feeling the way his heart seemed to be pounding through it the same way her own had been for the last few minutes. Tears rolled down the sides of her head after she blinked and a slightly embarrassed smile briefly flashed over her lips as she could’ve sworn she saw his eyes looking glassy and vulnerable. Slowly, her hands moved to the sides of his face and she watched a soft smile appear. Another rush of emotion washed over her and she pulled his lips down to hers, kissing him hungrily, expressing all of the things she couldn’t quite put into words yet. As he began to slowly rock against her, she moaned his name against his mouth.

He felt her hands drop from his face and heard them hit the sheets near the sides of her head. Her eyes had closed as she raised her chin, leaving her neck open to him. The sight of her there, head back as she got lost in the moment, her palms begging for his touch… it was too much to resist. After one more grind against her, he stilled his motions and moved his hands so that he could lace his fingers with hers, holding her hands against the bed. Unlike the various times he had done something similar in the past with one of his many trysts filled with thrills and power plays, this time the motion was focused on affection and intimacy. He wanted to feel her hands in his as they moved, to be able to feel the tension in her grip as she held onto him like he was the only thing keeping her grounded.

She opened her eyes as Loki’s fingers laced with hers, surprised by the tenderness and gentleness in the gesture, particularly when it would have been quite easy to make it rough and overtly lustful. It was just as she was about to move to look at him that she felt his lips kiss up the front of her neck and then up her jaw at such an agonizingly slow pace that she got lost between them. His earlier grinding motions now seemed to turn into slow, smooth thrusts as her fingers released and clenched against his and her arms tried to lift up as she felt the impulse to stroke through his hair or dig her fingertips into the skin of his back. When he pressed into her deeply again and seemed to hit every spot inside her just right, she gasped and then moaned again.

The sound of her voice as she cried out his name was the most beautiful and arousing thing he had ever heard. He growled as he felt her long legs wrap around him, desperately trying topull him deeper inside her. After licking the side of her neck and nibbling her earlobe, he groaned as her warm channel squeezed him a little tighter. The sensation made him rear back and thrust inside again suddenly and rather hard, causing her to cry out again. Despite the wonderful way she made him feel and her sounds of ecstasy, Loki ached to touch her as he made love to her.

“L..Loki?” she questioned, opening her eyes as she felt him still.

He kissed her cheek and rested his body against hers for a moment. “Ride me…” he whispered, feeling a smile hint at her lips.

Alex could feel herself blush at the thought of being on display for him, but whispered to him that she would. A second later, he’d flipped their positions and she found herself kneeling over him. His length and girth had filled her before, but in this position the sensations were heightened. She breathed in sharply as she settled on him and watched as he looked at her with concern in his eyes. “You’re so…” she whispered, resting her hands on his chest.

“…and you’re taking me so well, darling,” he said as he slid the pad of his thumb over her clitoris a few times. He groaned as she clenched around him. “Such a gorgeous body,” he sighed as his hands moved to her hips and slid up her sides ever so slowly. “These hips have mesmerized me from the moment I first saw you…”

The adoration he had for her was obvious in every touch. She leaned forward and let him slide out of her just a little, sighing at the way his hands moved up her sides until he brought them forward and cupped her breasts. Alex rocked her hips back, taking him in fully again and breathing in sharply as his cock pressed against her cervix. “Mmm… Loki…” she sighed, reveling in the way they fit together and her rising arousal.

Loki surprised her by sitting up and wrapping his arms around her until his mouth captured one of her nipples. He groaned as his tongue swirled around it and then he suckled at her. She moaned so erotically at the action that he smirked at her as he let go of the hardened flesh. “You like that, hmm?” he whispered, watching her as she looked down at him. “Shall I do it again?”

Alex’s hands had been resting on his shoulders since he sat up, but now her fingers were toying with the ends of his hair. He apparently wasn’t going to do anything else without a response, which made her blush. She hadn’t had a lover that was as vocal as Loki. With a nod, she slipped one hand on the back of his head and guided him to her other breast, gasping and softly moaning as he latched onto her nipple and began teasing her. “Yes… yes, Loki… yes…”

Her lusciously wet cunt was throbbing around him as he nibbled and sucked at her. The feel of her hand on his head was enticingly erotic as it reinforced her desire for him to do exactly what he was doing. He raised his hand to her other breast and palmed her flesh, occasionally rolling her other nipple between his fingers as he suckled at her. His free hand moved to her hip and began guiding her to move, slowly directing her to rock back and forth on him. The sensation of her wrapped tightly around him as she nearly writhed in pleasure from his mouth was the most wonderful thing he’d felt in ages.

The urge to move faster hit her suddenly and she began rising up and moving down a bit more as she rocked on his lap. “Ohh, Loki, you feel so good…” she sighed, her hand still steadying his head against her breast, “so deep… mmm… I can’t wait to feel you cum…”

_Oh, Norns…_ He growled at her words and his hands moved to cup her bottom and guide her motions even more. Letting go of her nipple, he kissed between her breasts and looked up at her face. This gorgeous woman wanted _him_. He’d had trysts, even trysts with women who’d had a kink and enjoyed playing with the idea, but he’d always taken precautions. “Your gloriously tight cunt is going to milk every drop out of me, my goddess,” he said, the words getting her attention. She looked down at him with a desire so strong that it felt like his seidr was rushing through him. “I’m going to fill you, Alexandra…” he said before groaning as she bounced a bit more with each move she made. “Tell me that you want it, that you want me…”

Alex’s hips began moving faster and Loki’s hands continued to guide her in their motions as they moaned together. She pressed her lips to his and wrapped her arms around his neck. “Yes,” she said between kisses, “I want you, Loki. I want you in every way…”

Loki could not keep himself from thrusting upward as she moved on him, the pure desire rushing through his veins was quickly washing away any semblance of control he had been holding on to earlier. He could see the truth in her eyes as she looked at him, the affection between them so utterly honest that it was shocking to see. Her earlier view into his mind left no illusions about what she had found out; all of those embarrassing visions of the future that Frigga had given him over the years. “Alexandra…” he said, his voice failing as she took control and began riding him with the obvious intent to make them both come.

She looked into his eyes, her gaze never leaving the lust-tinged blue-green stare that was focused on her. “I know,” she whispered, her hands touching his cheeks briefly, “and I want you to. I want you, I want… us.”

A hunger rose up in him that he’d never felt before and he suddenly toppled her onto the bed, his arms under her body so that his hands could hold her in place by her shoulders. He drove into her harder, each thrust filled with purpose as she resumed moaning and crying out his name. Every cell in his body felt like it was on fire as he pounded into her as deeply as possible. “Come for me, love,” he said, trying his best not to order her around but to encourage her. “I want your body sated and ready for me…”

“You are so fucking sexy like this…” she said before he shoved into her just right, hitting that spot inside her that was about to cause fireworks. “Fuck! Loki… Loki…” she cried out, her back arching her body into his as the tingling and arousal turned into a shattering orgasm that tore through her and made her body clamp down around his cock so hard that he seemed barely able to move. “Come, Loki, oh… fuck… come!!”

One hand moved to grip her hip and draw her leg around him as the other held her tightly, keeping her in position as his hips surged forward, forcing every bit of his length inside her just before what felt like a flood rushed into her. He growled and buried his head against her neck as she moaned his name and writhed against him in pleasure, her luscious little cunt gripping him over and over as he filled her. Exhausted, they both rested for a moment, her body still throbbing as the last of his essence finally emptying inside her.

They were quiet for a minute or two, both of them catching their breath as their minds inevitably focused on what had just transpired between them. Loki silently prayed that she would not regret their actions, knowing that the decision they’d made in the heat of the moment was a massive leap for any relationship. He felt her arms wrap around him and her hands gently and calmly slip up and down his back. “Careful, my darling,” he said softly but with a voice deepened by the lust they had just shared, “too much of that and I will need another round with you.”

Alex blushed at the thought that refractory periods were clearly not the same for those of the other realms. “Did we really just…?” she asked, a smile on her lips as the words came out.

“Make love? Yes, I would say quite thoroughly.” He couldn’t stop himself from grinning as he moved his face from her neck and saw her beaming up at him, obviously happy with what had happened. Not wanting to put all of his weight on her, he changed their positions so that she was draped over him, their bodies still joined. He ran his hands up and down her back, massaging her gently as she rested on him, feeling her body shaking with giggles.“Alex?”

She propped herself up and looked at his face, finally stopping her giggles before leaning down to kiss him. “I feel so…” she said, sighing happily. As one of his hands cupped her cheek, she nuzzled against it and sighed again.

“Contented, elated, hopeful, happy?” he said, smiling at her behavior. In a matter of hours, she’d dropped her guard and finally opened up to him. It was better than he had ever imagined possible.

“Yes,” she whispered, kissing his hand before resting back on his chest.

“The giddiness of new love,” he whispered, running his hands over her back again. “It has been some time since _either_ of us felt this way, darling.”

“Were you serious about…”

“I have no desire to ever lie to you, Alexandra,” he answered, tracing circles over one of her shoulders . “You saw my mind beforehand.”

“So you want…”

Loki paused and kissed her forehead. “_We_ are aware of what the Norns appear to have destined for us and _we_ have opened ourselves to it,” he whispered to her as his arms wrapped around her body a little more firmly. “What I would like to do is to enjoy being with you, love. There is no need to rush, no need to worry about what the future will bring.”


	11. An Afternoon At The Office

By the time the two of them showered together, dressed, and walked to the Tower, it was already time for lunch. Alex was in heels and a wrap dress that Loki had decided to turn into a green pattern instead of the burgundy it had originally been when she pulled it from her closet. Loki was in black trousers and a matching jacket with a pale mint green dress shirt, the color chosen by his lady love, who said that the light shade brought out the sea in his eyes. At her request, his hair was also left wavy. He glanced down to their intertwined fingers and smiled, bringing her fingers to his lips as they stood in the elevator.

“You are radiant, Alexandra,” he said as he looked at her face, seeing the happiness bubbling there.

She blushed and glanced up at him, smiling at the way he looked so very content. “I have a gentleman caller…”

“Do you, now?” he asked, smirking. “He must really be something to put such a becoming glow on your face.”

Alex smiled and moved closer to him, resting her hand on his chest. “Oh, Loki, he is amazing.”

He cocked an eyebrow. “Continue… Miss Atherton…”

“We made love this morning,” she whispered, pressing against him. “I wish I could’ve stayed in bed with him all day. Can you believe that he kept me - _me, of all people _\- from getting to the office on time?”

“Tsk, tsk, such a bad influence…” Loki very quietly growled and kissed her neck. “I am quite sure that he will make up for the disruption tonight.” If he survived that long, of course. There was always the chance that he would need her before the evening came.

The elevator informed them that they’d reached the penthouse. Alex pressed her lips to his briefly. “I look forward to it.”She beamed as he looked particularly proud.

Just as they kissed again, Thor’s deep voice piped in. “Ah, Loki, Alexandra, there you are!”

The two of them grimaced momentarily. Loki pressed a kiss to her forehead before turning to face his brother. “Thor… I see you survived Stark’s morning celebrations…” he said, escorting Alex out of the elevator.

“Aye. Pepper is with child!” Thor said rather jubilantly. He couldn’t help it, really. As a fertility god, this sort of thing was precisely in his wheelhouse.

“At least he’s wearing pants…” Alex quipped, getting a laugh from Loki and a grimace from Thor.

Loki slipped his arm around her back and pulled her in for a kiss. “My goddess…”

The sound that all three recognized as Tony Stark clearing his throat was soon heard and Loki sighed as he politely withdrew his lips from Alex’s.However, the lady was having none of that and kissed him again.

“Lexi and Loki… Loki and Lexi… Hmm, I think that I can work with that…” Stark said, clearly having already had a few of the Bloody Marys that he was presently sipping. “You missed my meeting, Lex!” he said, clutching his chest over-dramatically.

Alex groaned at the name. “Go ahead and call me Lexi again, _Anthony_,” she said rather darkly, smirking at Loki as he raised an eyebrow inquisitively. She stepped out of the elevator with Loki behind her and Thor tagging along out of curiosity. “You know what happens when you do…”

Stark raised his hands, his eyes wide at her suggestion. “Whoa, whoa, whoa, just kidding!” he said before putting Thor between them. “Point Break, make sure the Queen of Darkness over there keeps her stilettos to herself.”

Thor appeared confused and waited for further word. Loki licked his lips, looking over Alexandra as she stared down the other man as he thought of the nickname she’d been assigned and what it meant. She was _his. _He had to hold himself back from letting his emotions take over, knowing precisely what the love and lust mixing in him made him want to do. Losing control was not an option, particularly with this beautiful woman.

Meanwhile, Alex broke into laughter and walked over to give Tony a hug. “Congratulations - again.”

Stark grinned and hugged her firmly until he opened his eyes and found Loki glaring at him. “Thanks for finally making it here,” he said as he drew back, taking another sip of his drink. “Everyone’s here, bar’s in the corner, Capsicle and Bucky are grilling, and Pepper is looking more gorgeous than ever.”

A few more pleasantries were exchanged before Tony walked off to check in with Pepper, leaving Alex and Loki with Thor.

“How was _your _morning?” Thor asked, playfully pointing out that the two of them had arrived together.

“Hush,” Alex said, pressing her finger to his lips. “I’m sure that quite a few people here have heard already, but I don’t want to draw attention from Tony and Pepper.”

Thor nodded, but grinned as soon as she withdrew her finger. “I am happy that the two of you have finally gotten together. May the Norns bless your union.”

Alex stared at him as he winked at her and walked away. “Bless our union? Loki?” she asked, feeling his arm slip around her back again as he walked with her into the party, then procured glasses of champagne for them both.

“Thor speaks very broadly,” he said quietly. “It is a more common phrase for Asgardians, not only the wedding blessing that it generally is on Midgard. You and I are together, therefore it is appropriate.”

After accepting the glass from Loki, Alex took a tiny sip before looking out onto the penthouse’s large outdoor area. “I wouldn’t mind some air…” she said, nodding toward it.

Loki laced his fingers with hers. “Lead the way,” he replied, trying to convince himself that Alex was not panicking from Thor’s words. He would need to discuss things with his brother later in order to avoid any further miscommunications. He was already aware of Alexandra’s tendency to run from things of this nature and did not want the big oaf to set her off for no reason.

Her heart was pounding in her chest as they walked outside. The words repeated in her mind. _Bless your union… union… _Her lungs didn’t seem to want to comply with her need for air, but she felt Loki’s hand squeeze hers as they walked. Somehow, it comforted her enough to stave off a more dangerously robust reaction to Thor’s words. He didn’t say a word, but it seemed he knew that words would only get in the way and that touch would draw her back into reality.

“Alex, need anything?” Steve called from behind the grill as he saw her appear on the terrace.

She laughed as her stomach suddenly growled in hunger. Her eyes gratefully glanced to Loki, catching his hint of a nod as he reassured her that he understood. “Thanks, Steve. Cheeseburger?” she said, feeling Loki let go of her hand as she walked over to chat with the Captain.

Loki kept an eye on Alex as he retreated to the other room to speak with his brother, checking occasionally through a window where she was within view. He strode over to Thor, who was standing a little too close to Pepper for her comfort. “Felicitations on your impending motherhood, Virginia,” he said, leaning in and pecking her cheek.

“Thank you. Glad you could make it, Loki.” she said, giving him a knowing smile. “Love the hair… and the pastel kinda works for you, too.”

“Trying something new…” he said with a soft smile and nod. He then turned to Thor. “Brother,” he said, gesturing toward a space away from the others.

“Where is my future sister?” Thor said, glancing around and failing to see Loki cringe.

“Do you _mind_?!” he hissed, pressing his hand on Thor’s shoulder. “You must temper yourself where Alexandra is concerned.”

Thor stared at his brother in confusion. “Why? She fits you so well.”

“Not because of _my_ sensibilities, but because _she_ is somewhat skittish. You are well aware of her relationship history,” he explained, running his free hand through his hair to quell his annoyance. He glanced out toward Alex and Steve and saw that she was chatting away with him and Bucky.

“You have seen her eyes when she looks at you, Loki. She is in love with you.” Thor chuckled when he saw his brother crack a smile. He patted Loki’s shoulder. “I will do as you have asked. It is good to finally see you allowing yourself to become close to someone.”

Meanwhile, Alex was eating a burger while chatting with Steve on the terrace. “Have you used that online dating profile that Natasha set up for you yet?” she asked between bites.

“Nah, I don’t think it’s right for me. After two days, I had hundreds of women asking me if I was _DTF.” _He chuckled and sighed as he flipped a few more burgers. “What about you? You seem happy these days. Loki’s treating you right, I hope.”

Alex blushed and glanced through the open doors, seeing Loki standing with Thor as they conversed. “He’s been wonderful…” she whispered, smiling as he looked back at her and winked playfully. 

Steve caught a glance of Loki looking happy and Alex blushing again and sighed. He knew that his chance to be with her had passed. “Alex, if he ever does anything… just say the word and I swear I’ll —“

She turned toward him abruptly and set her empty plate down on the nearby table, stunned by his words. “Stop right there,” she said, her eyes narrowed. “Loki is not the sneaky, arrogant, nefarious asshole that you still seem to want to think he is, Steven.” She didn’t realize that Loki had stepped into the doorway and had been about to join her when she began speaking to Steve directly. “He has been so thoughtful, kind, loving, and patient with me. If I were you, I would get used to seeing the two of us together because _that_ is _not_ going to change. Not for you, not for anybody.”

Loki had heard her defense of him, his heart swelling with affection as she openly admitted her feelings for him to the man he’d thought of as competition for her interest. Other than Thor and Frigga, no one had ever supported and praised him so openly and profusely. He watched as she turned away from Steve and spotted him, her expression softening as her steps sped up. As she reached for him, he pulled her into his arms and kissed her cheek. “Alexandra… my glorious Valkyrie…” he whispered as he nuzzled his cheek to hers.

Suddenly, she realized that they’d attracted the attention of everyone on the terrace. Pulling back, she tried to ease her uncertainty by smoothing the lapels of his jacket. His hands were on her waist and she felt him give her a faint squeeze of reassurance. The touch grounded her, brought her back from her thoughts, which were quickly sliding into self-questioning about what the hell had happened to make her feel so untethered and nervous in front of people she had known for years.When she looked up, she found him calmly looking back at her with a soft, happy smile. The worry that she had been feeling was fading.

Loki had felt her tension rise and, upon glancing around and seeing others looking at them, knew that she would feel uncomfortably on display. He knew that everyone on the terrace had heard her response to Steve and that she would now feel emotionally exposed as well, not to mention that she knew that _he _had heard her. When she nervously fidgeted, he knew that a diversion would be needed. Giving her waist a gentle squeeze, he waited for her to look at him, smiled down at her, and promptly made up a gossip-stirrer for the ages.

“Darling, there you are!” he said, releasing her and taking her hand as he made sure to speak loudly enough for everyone to hear him. “Come with me, Thor wants your assistance in planning the perfect proposal for Doctor Foster!”He saw Alex’s near laughter and winked at her before pulling her off into the other room, everyone else chattering away at his brother’s now-impending engagement.

They exchanged mischievous grins as they were able to slip down the hallway unnoticed and duck into the nearest room, closing the door behind them before they laughed. “Sometimes I feel bad for Thor,” she said, her fingers entwined with his as they leaned back against the wall, “but…”

“He’s such an easy target,” Loki added, glancing over to see her nodding.

“…And a good sport about it, thankfully.” She looked at his face and smiled at the happiness she found there. He was always handsome, but the levity always seemed to bring out something in him that heightened his attractive features. “Thank you,” she said as she turned to him and pressed him against the wall, her lips tenderly touching his as her hands rested on his chest.

“Mmmhmm…” It felt so natural to have her against him this way. Feeling her lips press against his in time with her body resting against his, Loki’s arms wrapped around her and held her in place, one hand on the small of her back as the other traveled upward. The kiss she’d started was deepened, soon evolving into a hungry exploration. He felt her hands travel upward and slip over his shoulders. Testing her, he let his hands both slip lower until they reached her hips.

She gasped and smiled against his mouth as she felt his hands rucking up the skirt of her dress at her hips, leaving her bottom all but bare in the skimpy black panties she’d put on that morning. Her fingers trailed up the back of his neck, appreciating the black waves that were cascading down. His mouth recaptured hers and she felt him make a lustful, throaty noise as his long, elegant fingers moved to her bottom and he felt the soft lace covering her flesh. As if it’d been rehearsed, his hands cupped her bottom and she practically climbed to his waist as he turned them around and pressed her back to the wall, letting her wrap her legs around him.

Loki groaned as he felt her hands slip lower, her fingers excitedly fussing with his belt and working to open his trousers. His fingers caught the edge of the lascivious lace she’d worn and, with one tug, tore the dainty fabric straight from her. He lifted her a bit more from under her thighs as he felt his clothing slip down. “Do you want this?” he asked, kissing his way from her lips to her ear as his hips ground against her, forcing her to feel his length trapped between their bodies.

Alex moved her hips against him, sliding just right so that he was poised to enter her. “Please, Loki,” she said before nibbling his earlobe, “I _need _you.”

He drew his head back and watched her face as pressed into her, feeling her slick arousal allowing him to slide deeper and deeper until he was fully seated inside. The blissful adoration he saw staring back at him was as emotionally erotic as their embrace. “Shhh…” he whispered before kissing her lips again as he began to move against her.

Meanwhile, Thor looked puzzled as he fielded questions about Jane and his proposal plans from the others. “I do not know what you are speaking of, Bruce…” he said between gulps of ale.

“I get it, I get it…” the scientist said with a pleasant look on his face. “You want this kept a secret.”

“Hey, big guy,” Natasha said as she walked over and leaned against the side of the couch where Thor was sitting. “So… Finally going to pop the question to Jane?”

“What are all of you talking about!?” Thor said rather loudly, frustration getting the better of him. “There are no such plans,” he said, his voice drawing to a whisper. “Jane was offered a six month research position in Hawaii and left two weeks ago.”

Bruce and Natasha cringed simultaneously.

“Who told you of these plans to wed?” Thor questioned, taking another gulp to finish the mug.

“Well, uhhh…” Bruce said, fidgeting with his wine glass and looking at Natasha for guidance.

The woman scoffed and laughed, rolling her eyes. “We overheard Loki saying something to Alex on the terrace,” she explained patting his shoulder. “Looks like he used you as cover again.”

“Loooo-kiiii!” Thor grumbled, getting up and stomping off to find his brother. After asking around and gaining no insight from the others present, he resorted to opening doors to search for them.It was then that he pushed open a door and found Loki and Alex in one of the spare rooms, writhing and panting against each other. “The two of you are like bilgesnipes in heat!”

Alex heard Thor’s voice, looked to the door briefly before turning back to lick and nip the side of Loki’s neck, then gasped as Loki drove into her hard one last time and made them both come.

Loki heard his brother, but was not about to let his presence ruin their fun. Collecting himself, he softly kissed Alex’s lips before he looked toward the door. “Hello, Brother. I trust that word has gotten around of your nuptials?” he said with a grin. “Now, if you don’t mind, a little privacy would be appreciated…”

“I will be in the hallway,” Thor chuckled, winking at Alex.

With a sigh, Alex let her head fall back against the wall. “Well, at least he didn’t _see _anything,” she whispered, smiling as Loki briefly put his forehead against hers.

Loki pulled a soft towel from his inter-dimensional storage as he felt his seed dripping from where they were joined. They hadn’t directly discussed this particular issue _out loud, _though they both knew the memories and dreams that she’d viewed in his mind_. _He searched her eyes for a moment, grateful that he found no sense of fear or worry staring back at him. “Allow me to…” he whispered, gathering her in his arms. He turned and deposited her on her back on the bed before withdrawing from her.

Alex blushed as she saw his eyes survey her face before very obviously focusing between her legs. She felt the way he was dripping from her and saw the desire still in his eyes.“You were _quite generous_…” she whispered back, feeling her cheeks burning with a mix of arousal and embarrassment as he continued to look at her.

“I would keep you this way if we were in either of our homes,” he said, his tongue passing over his lower lip as he looked at the way her pinked folds were very clearly glazed with his essence, “but, alas, I suppose we should avoid making a mess.”

She’d never had a man bother to take such intimate care of her after sex and couldn’t help but feel self-conscious while he tidied her and cast some sort of spell between her legs, then proceeded to clean himself off as well. “What was that for?” she asked quietly, taking his hand as he pulled her up from the bed.

“The spell?” he replied, “Just a simple anti-leak charm. I thought it would be better if I wasn’t dripping down your legs for the rest of the day.” He kissed her temple and handed her new dark green panties before righting his own clothing.

_“_And you like knowing that I’m still filled with you…” she whispered as she felt herself tingle and clench at the words. She watched the way his eyes seemed to burn with desire as she put on the panties and made sure her dress was in order. There was something arousing about it, but also frightening. She could feel the familiar sense of chaos in the pit of her stomach, as if everything was moving far, far too quickly.How did a waltz at a party and a few instances of verbal jousting turn into ducking into rooms during one of Tony’s parties to have amazingly hot, dangerously bare sex whenever the mood hit?

Loki created a double out in the hallway to speak with Thor without disrupting the moment that was presently going on with Alexandra.“Darling, come here,” he said, feeling her tension. Calming himself, he sat down on the bed and drew her onto his knee. “Tell me what you are thinking.”

Alex placed her head against his shoulder and curled into the way his arms wrapped around her. “You’re used to things being a chaotic,” she sighed, “but I’ve spent the last couple years of my life clawing things back from complete ruins. All of this feels so sudden and all-consuming and _emotional_, with seemingly life-changing decisions made after really only knowing each other for maybe a week?”

He knew to what she was actually referring and pulled her hand into his, resting it on his chest. “I admit that I am the same as you when I _think_ of our circumstances, but…” he said, looking to her face, “…what does your heart tell you to do?” He watched as she appeared to internally argue with herself for a moment, hesitant to decide.

“I don’t trust my heart,” she whispered. The feeling in her chest was like a hole had torn through it. In the time since she’d left Charles and finally reestablished herself, she knew that she had healed some of the wounds. However, healing wasn’t enough. She’d neglected to prepare herself to face the point where she could finally re-enter the world and start new relationships and love other people again. Work wasn’t enough, but she didn’t know _what _there was - or what she actually wanted - beyond work, stability, and independence. Such thoughts had been a luxury she hadn’t been able to afford until now. And yet, after meeting Loki, something happened that she hadn’t yet processed fully. She knew what her heart said, but it scared her.

Loki saw the tears forming in her eyes and wanted to do something - _anything _\- to make them go away. Despite that, he knew that this was something that he could not fix for her. “Would time help?” he asked, hating the thought of being away from her. “There is a mission that Natasha is working on that I could join, two weeks or so in her native land.”

She nodded before looking up at his face. “I know that you understand, Loki. Before I can move forward, I need to know what I need and where I want to go. I can’t sit idly by as love sweeps me away and makes all the decisions for me. I can’t lose myself.” Seeing the slight nod he returned to her, she smiled softly, but almost mischievously. “After all, someone will need to keep you in check and I heard that Valkyries trained pretty hard.”

He rested his forehead against hers briefly and smiled at her words before drawing back and looking at her. She was willing to take on this mantle despite the difficulty that he knew was part of being with him, even after such a short amount of time.He knew he could wait a while longer… he’d been waiting hundreds of years already anyway.

“I will give you all the time you need, Alexandra.”

“Do you know that you’re perfect?” she whispered, raising her hand to cup his cheek.

With a soft chuckle, he patted her hand and then held it there. “Oh, how the Norns have blessed me. A beautiful, intelligent warrior to save me and who also strokes my ego as if it were a kitten on her lap.”

With a calming breath, Alex nuzzled between his neck and shoulder, her arms moving around his torso. “I’m assuming that you used your seidr to avoid any surprises, right?” she questioned, feeling him press her to his body just a little more.

“Yes. Such a thing can happen only when you wish it, Alexandra,” he said softly, sensing the last of her tension melt as she relaxed in his arms.

She blushed as she looked at him. “As, umm, hot as various things you’ve said and done have been…”

He smirked a little and kissed the tip of her nose. “It is too soon. After all, such tasks are supposed to require _rigorous_ efforts, are they not?”

“All right, you rogue,” she said as she finally stood up and straightened her clothes, enjoying his playfulness. “If we don’t stop here, I’m pretty sure we’ll disrupt the party during the next round.”

“Ah, but your cries of passion are so lovely… they should be so lucky as to hear them,” he smirked, righting his suit before using his seidr to clear away the slight bit of makeup that had smudged from around her eyes.

Alex opened the door and extended her hand back to him as she stepped through it. “At least you’ll never be boring.”

“I believe I can keep you quite… _entertained_…” he quipped just before they walked into the room with the others, ready to enjoy the rest of the day’s events.


	12. What Can I Do For You?

Alex sighed as she took a break from drafting documents regarding one of Tony’s charities. She turned her desk chair around and sat back, looking out over the city. It had been about a week since Loki had left on his mission with Natasha. Alex ran her last moments with him through her mind again, recalling the way he’d surprised her by coming to her office for a more private goodbye instead of allowing her to send him off on the roof, as Pepper often did for Tony. Although he wasn’t scheduled to leave until 2pm, he had shown up with lunch from one of her favorite bistros near the office.

——

He’d knocked on her door unannounced, later explaining that he’d quieted her secretary and the rest of the staff on the floor with a finger to his lips. The many women - and a couple of the men - had obvious crushes on him after seeing him with Alex, which made his task quite easy.

“Come in…” Alex had said, briefly pulling her eyes from her screen to look toward the door. She smiled the moment she saw his eyes, the happy glint they took on as soon as he looked at her.Then, she closed her laptop and looked him over, taking in the sight of him in his leather armor.She’d seen him dressed for missions before, but only from afar, having _coincidentally _managed to see him from down a hallway or having seen videos of him. “Is there something I can do for you, Prince Loki of Asgard?” she asked, trying not to smile as she pretended it was a professional visit.

Loki raised an eyebrow momentarily before holding up the small box containing their lunch. “Would you have lunch with me, Miss Atherton?” he asked, hearing the excited whispers from the staff as they overheard the exchange, the door still open as he stood in the frame.

“That depends…” she said as she stood up and walked to the front of her very large desk.

“On?” he inquired, a slight smirk on his face.

“On whether that flower conveniently tucked behind your ear is for me or from someone else,” she said, giggling as she walked over and plucked the voluptuous white flower from where it had been resting.

“For you, sweetling,” he replied as he stepped into the room and closed the door behind him.

Alex smiled and rose up to gently peck his lips. “It’s beautiful, thank you,” she answered, leading him over to a small table on the other side of the room. The single gardenia gave off a strong, luxuriously sultry scent; she tucked it behind her right ear, since she was right-handed.

After setting their lunch on the table, Loki playfully clicked his tongue admonishingly at her before stepping closer again. “That is the wrong side, darling,” he said as he moved the flower to her left ear instead. “There, much better.”

For the next hour, they enjoyed their lunch while discussing their projects - as much as they could, of course. Even though Alex could tell that she wasn’t the only one in the room who would’ve appreciated something more physically strenuous, there was something sweet and intimate about his visit. She’d momentarily taken a seat on his lap after they’d finished eating, tucking his hair behind his ear and running her fingers over the armor covering his chest and shoulders. His arms were wrapped around her with his hands resting on her opposite side as she sat across his lap.Quiet moments like these always seemed awash with far more communication than anyone would expect. When it was time to leave, she followed Loki to the door, stealing a brief yet passionate kiss before they opened it.

Again, he found himself standing before Alexandra with all of the staff pretending not to listen to them. He saw the affection in Alex’s eyes and mirrored it… until a bit of mischief struck him. He winked at her and took a far more formal stance before gently taking her hand in his and leaning down to kiss it, knowing that the rest of the office was certainly watching.

“My Lady, I will count the moments until I am able to bask in your presence once more,” he said, ensuring that it was loud enough to be heard by the others and that his voice conveyed all the things he wanted to say that went beyond the words themselves.Even Alex looked a bit stunned by the stroke of courtly behavior. He winked at her again as he stood up and took a step back, respectfully bowed, and then turned and began walking toward the door.

Her heart was racing from his actions and she could feel the blush still tinging her cheeks, but she pulled herself together and called to him. “Prince Loki?” she said, catching his attention as she stood in the doorway, watching him walking away more slowly than he normally would.

Loki turned. “Yes, my Lady?”

“I’ll miss you,” she said sincerely, watching his eyes sparkle sweetly. “Come back safely.”

In his peripheral vision, he saw the various staff members pretending to continue working and the others who had utterly given up and were now watching the two of them as if they were in a romantic film. “For you, my Lady, always,” he responded, giving her another small bow with his hand clutched before his heart.

Alexandra - and everyone else who’d been paying attention - was practically swooning as Loki strode off toward the elevator. She blushed, smiled, and turned back into her office, closing the door before she sank into her desk chair with a contented sigh.

——

She now sat back in her chair, looking out the same window she’d looked out of after he’d left. Shockingly, the gardenia he'd given her was still as perfect as it was in that moment, now resting on her desk where she could enjoy its scent as she worked. Clearly, he’d enchanted it somehow. _The perks of dating a sorcerer,_ she supposed.

Although the days went by rather normally, Alex felt Loki’s absence each evening, having somehow already gotten used to his presence. However, the weeks had given her the time she needed to think about her life and what she wanted out of it. Even though it took her a while, she was finally in the place she’d hoped to be in her career and had achieved the financial and personal independence she’d needed after Charles. She had worked so hard for this, always telling herself that she would be able to relax and start enjoying life once she got to this point.Even though it was necessary, Alex also knew that avoiding relationships to focus on everything else was also a way of avoiding having to think about how to handle another relationship or how to be close to another man.

She’d been drawn to Loki from the moment she saw him, both for his good looks and for the intelligence and clever tongue he’d had in the few times she’d heard him speaking with others. Now, the draw felt much stronger. She’d gotten to know him and was able to see the depth and complexity hiding under his aloof, sometimes obnoxious, and often provocative behavior. Even more, she’d felt his love. For someone known to hold people at bay, Loki had projectedhis affection for her from the moment he charmed her while dancing at Tony’s party. She’d never felt as comfortable around a man as she did with Loki.

Loki’s revelation about his mother’s visions had been shocking at first and had made her feel like she had no control of her future… their future. After finally wresting control back from Charles, the idea of her relationship with Loki being predetermined triggered her to worry about whether Loki would also expect her life to revolve around him and her goals to actually be his goals instead. It hadn’t turned out that way, though. Loki’s own past had obviously impacted him and the depth of understanding and compassion he had for her predicament set her at east. He’d made it clear that the life he wanted for her was whatever life she chose. Yes, he obviously hoped that her choice would involve him being in it, but he was respectful and understood that she needed to find her own way.

She lifted the gardenia, taking a deep breath of its heady scent, and sighed. “I love you, Loki…” she whispered, a soft smile on her face.

“And I love you, my darling…”

Alex heard Loki’s voice from across the room, causing her to jump in her chair and almost knock it backwards as she squeaked in surprise. Holding onto the edge of her desk, she pulled herself back to balance and stared at the hazy image of him standing in green silk pajama pants before her. He obviously wasn’t actually there, but… was he? She stood up and walked toward him, gently trying to touch his arm with her hand, but failing as it went straight through.

He had watched her experiment and chuckled softly. “I apologize for not being there in the flesh, but I heard your call and could not resist. Natasha is out and I have been trying to rest, but you were on my mind.”

Her eyes tingled as she looked at him, trying not to gawk at the hazy view of his body as he smiled at her. “You enchanted the flower to…?” she said, unsure of what to say.

“Only to alert me if you called my name, sweetling,” he replied, trying to reach out to touch her cheek but failing to make contact due to his incorporeal state. Another chuckle. “Now I see your frustration. I have longed to touch you and this only makes the desire increase.”

“Is everything going well?” she asked, taking a seat on the front edge of her desk and smiling as he moved to stand before her despite being unable to touch her.

“The mission, yes,” he replied, gazing at her face and feeling much less homesick than he had. “It is colder here and, though the temperature does not bother me, I find myself longing to hold you in my arms at night. Are you well?”

“I’ve been keeping busy. Most of the staff talked about you for a couple days after you left,” she said, smiling and trying not to laugh. “Linda, one of the secretaries who apparently knew Tony’s father and has been here forever, said that you were a ‘_very nice young man’ _and that I would be a very smart young lady if I married you. She then commented that you looked like you would be - and I quote - ‘_quite something in bed.’_”

Loki chuckled softly. “She is a wise woman on all counts. Well, perhaps not the part about me being young.”

Alex giggled. “I rather like that you’re _experienced_.”

“Don’t you dare start calling me old, darling,” he joked, laughing with her.

“Is your schedule still the same?” she asked, watching him nod.

“Six days, ten hours, forty-two minutes, and twelve seconds,” he replied, winking at her.

Alex looked to the floor for a moment, smiling to herself. Her attention was captured when she felt the back of his fingers stroking her cheek. “Loki?”

“It is difficult to do this for very long from such a distance, but I could not resist,” he whispered, suddenly taking form and drawing her into a kiss. He slipped a hand into her hair and cupped the back of her head as his other hand found hers and their fingers twined together, the kiss full of constrained passion.When he finally pulled his lips away from hers, he saw her beaming at him and felt the same sparks of affection that she always caused in him.

“You should get some rest,” she whispered, standing up so that she could hug him properly and relieved that he was able to be touched this time. “You’ll need your energy when you get back.”

Loki grinned at her, his smile turning into a ravenous smirk. “As will you, my dear.” He heard the footsteps of Natasha coming up the stairs and sighed. “Six days, ten hours, forty minutes, and twenty-nine seconds.”

With that, he once again became hazy and then disappeared altogether, leaving Alex feeling more loved than she had in ages. After hearing what she’d said, Loki felt quite the same.


	13. An Implied Question Deserves An Implied Answer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Loki returns from his mission to find Alex in a curious position, which leads to an overdue discussion and a new understanding.

Once Natasha was debriefed, Loki had lain awake in bed for an hour thinking about Alex’s words. Finally, after practically feeling the intensity of Loki’s thoughts, Nat had made him talk to her about the developments. For the rest of the week, they had an ongoing conversation about relationships - all the difficulties, all their failures, and everything that they were dealing with at the moment. For Loki, it was valued advice and friendship from one of the few he would truly count as such. For Natasha, it was an enlightening view into what really mattered to Loki, which had surprised her more than she expected it to. Deep down, she realized, he wasn’t that different from his brother. Of course, she’d never say that to his face.

Meanwhile, Alex continued working through her thoughts and feelings during the evenings. There was so much to consider and it was the day before Loki was scheduled to return that she finally got to the end of her massive thought experiment.It was, admittedly, the hardest part. She sat on her bed, trying to come up with some answers and writing them on a notepad.

“What do I want?” she sighed, running through a list. She had her career figured out, a place to live, some friends, and a good life in general. She made a list of things she knew she liked in a man - intelligence, confidence, kindness, and various other things. It made her smile when she realized that she’d essentially written down Loki’s characteristics. Then, she thought about a few of her friends and their lives, the things that they valued and centered their lives around.

Kristen, a friend from college, had gone to medical school, married a fellow doctor, moved to the suburbs of Washington D.C., set up a private practice, and now had two kids. In college, Kristen had been the overly studious one, never partying and focused only on becoming a doctor. She met her future husband, Mark, in medical school. Although she’d originally planned to be a surgeon of some sort, meeting Mark changed things. Mark was finishing his last year of the program when she was entering and he had already been placed into a residency for neurosurgery - a demanding but prestigious placement. Then, Kristen became pregnant with their first child. They quickly wed and Kristen changed her course of study, deciding to move into family practice for its only real perk: a nine-to-five, Monday-to-Friday schedule. They did well for themselves, had a beautiful home, and adorable kids. Kristen was happy, mostly, but confessed to Alex a few months ago that she regretted giving up her original goal and should’ve tried harder to continue toward it before capitulating to Mark’s career and the baby.

Elise, a friend from law school, had followed her dream and ended up handling human rights cases at The Hague. In law school, she had been engaged to a fellow student and daydreamed (sometimes in class) about the two of them moving somewhere interesting and maybe having one or two kids. However, she ended the engagement when Dan started talking about how they’d move to Denver and join his father’s firm, then told her that she could even work part-time to take care of _the children._ Elise was not about to sacrifice her education to play second fiddle to him and work for his father in an entirely uninteresting area of law to her. Now, she was approaching forty and, last Alex had heard, she was dating a few different men and had two dogs that kept her company.It was hard not to wonder whether she was entirely satisfied or whether there were things that she felt she’d missed out on.

Sara had married her college sweetheart and was a mom of five with another on the way, living somewhere in the Midwest.In college, she had been the party girl until she met Brad, who balanced her out. She had become a nurse and was happy with her career until baby #3 came along and she realized that the costs of childcare for three children would eat up a substantial amount of her salary. Brad had a good job, so they decided that Sara would stop working when the baby came. She was happy at first. Then, she found herself immersed in all things child-related and began to miss the adult things that came with working and getting out of the house. By then, she was already pregnant with #4. It wasn’t always easy for her, but she found things to get involved in and joined some groups of moms for support. After a while, she was happy and the inner dialogue stopped, allowing her to embrace her life and her role. However, she did usually have a bit of a chip on her shoulder when Alex got in touch and shared what was going on in her life now.

Bridget, a college friend who became a writer, was on marriage number three and was currently trekking around Asia with her husband, a travel writer.Marriage number one had happened during college - she’d married a professor, Steve, in a department that she _didn’t_ study in, thankfully.However, he was ten years older than her and had different goals in life because of it. She was able to get freelance writing gigs immediately out of school, which helped her get her career started. Then, she popped out a set of twins two years after graduation - to no one’s surprise. Things were okay for a bit, but she got sick of living in a college town and wanted more excitement. She and husband #1 split amicably and shared custody of the kids, with Bridget getting them in the summers, since she decided to move to New York. Husband #2 was - as Bridget would later admit - a beautiful mistake. Gio was a model that she’d met as a journalist covering Fashion Week. They fell in lust, got married, and she traveled with him for two years of shows while she wrote a novel. It all crumbled when Gio, who was 23 when Bridget was hitting 30, decided it would be a great idea to start snorting cocaine and having sex with the female models after their shoots. Bridget dropped him in seconds, then spent a summer with her kids before moving to Paris, where she met husband #3, Fabian.Sometimes she felt bad about not being present for her kids on a daily basis, but she did what she could to make it up to them. Now, she was happy and enjoyed her unconventional lifestyle of often being on the move.

Alex sighed, realizing that there were a few big questions to answer that kept coming up. She wrote down a list of places she wanted to visit, things she wanted to do, what she’d do if she wasn’t working for Tony, and various other thought experiment answers. She contemplated what sort of relationship she wanted and was reminded of her age and certain decisions that couldn’t be put off for very much longer. The anxiety of it made her get out of bed and pace the room a little. She stood in front of her mirror and looked herself over, admiring her soft curves and flat stomach. Rolling her eyes at herself as she turned sideways, she let herself engage in the sort of youthful imagining she did back before she’d married Charles, back when the world was just opening up for her and there was so much of life ahead. Now, she was forced to wonder whether she’d regret _not _having a family or if, deep down, she actually _did _want to have children after all. It was precisely when she was sticking out her stomach that she heard something unexpected.

“What exactly _are_ you doing, darling?” Loki asked, puzzled, suddenly appearing on a chair behind her, having used his seidr to hop over from the Tower after arriving back early with Natasha. 

Alex jumped in shock and could feel herself blushing, internally cringing, and wanting to crawl into a hole out of embarrassment. “Um, nothing… thought I gained a couple pounds,” she said before changing the subject. “You’re back! How was it?” she asked, turning to him and smiling at his version of casual wear - he always looked delicious in those leather pants of his.

Loki raised an eyebrow at her momentarily. Her statement was not entirely truthful, which was somewhat of a surprise. However, Midgardians were quite private compared to many others, particularly about their bodies, and women here often seemed to fixate on a couple pounds or a part of their figure that they thought wasn’t perfect. “The mission went well enough that we were able to leave early.” He stood up and walked closer to her, pulling her into his arms and breathing in her scent. “Would you like me to return to the tower for the night?” he asked, seeing her notepad and sensing that he might be intruding on her solitude.

She sank into his embrace, feeling an immediate sense of calm now that he had returned home. “Not unless you want me to join you there,” she replied before pecking his cheek and then kissing his lips gently. “We should talk.”

He’d heard from some of the others about how damning that phrase could be. _We should talk_… Clint, in particular, loathed that phrase. He took a seat on her bed, drawing her with him by the hand. “What would you like to discuss?”

“Just how much of the future did you see from your mother?” she asked, taking a seat next to him before pulling his hand into hers. “I don’t think I saw everything when I somehow looked into your thoughts, did I?”

Loki moved back on the bed and drew her with him, using his seidr to remove their clothing and place them under the blankets before he put his arm around her and held her to his side. If they were going to talk, he was at least going to have the comfort of her soft, warm body pressed against him - and she felt _beautiful. _“The most clear vision was of you wearing my colors. Rather splendidly, I might add, in an ornate gown. You were giving an advisor an exhilarating dressing-down.”

“What else?” she asked, tracing the outlines of his muscles on his chest.

“Nothing was extremely specific, Alexandra,” he replied. “Glimpses and flashes and emotions. It wasn’t like seeing clips of a film or photographs. Half of them seem like blurs of nothing, the others seem out of order.”

Alex sighed, wishing that she knew more.

“One memory was of you smiling and laughing, but with very little else. In another, I saw nothing but heard your voice calling my name and felt complete and utter jubilation as you said something… but I couldn’t make out your words.” He paused and kissed her forehead. “Some were not happy times, though. You were distraught over something, I don’t know what, and I felt as if I had failed you.”

She looked to his face and could see the lingering impact of whatever the last vision was, his sea-like eyes getting glassy as he looked down at her. “Don’t get upset over that,” she said, moving upward to kiss his lips ever so softly. “Nothing is set in stone and I refuse to live my life like one of those doomsday prepping loons out in the middle of nowhere, worrying that the worst things will happen and there is nothing we can do to avoid them.”

“You are like me in so many ways,” he said with a soft smile as he stroked her hair. “Never willing to accept what others tell you is inevitable, always wanting to try harder, to survive despite hardships, to beat all the odds…”

Alex smiled up at him. “It’s why we’re good together. I understand you, you understand me.”

Loki moved onto his side so he was face-to-face with her, one arm drawing her closer as the other rested between them, holding her hand and bringing it to his lips.“You saw the most vivid images, Alexandra, yet the only thing you’ve said about them was to playfully call me a _fiend_ to cover for not wanting to discuss them.”

She looked at his eyes, the way they were unnervingly calm and somewhat stern, but also caring. “I guess that’s why we’re talking now.”

He kissed her fingers yet again before sighing and letting their intertwined hands fall to the bed. “Ask me, sweetling.” It was obvious that there were multiple things on her mind, but she was too worried about his reaction to ask him.

“There’s the not-so-secret secret that you weren’t born in Asgard…” she whispered, unsure about how to approach him about being Jotun, but finally giving in to his request for her to be open about things. “I… well, I…” she said, blushing, “Can I see you… that way?”

Although this was not what he had been expecting her to ask, Loki had always known that this moment would come. He knew that the fear he felt was unfounded, that she would never reject him solely for this, but the years of conditioning he’d had from Aesir myths of Jotuns were hard to erase. “You saw my memories of that…” he said quietly, “is it not enough?”

She narrowed her eyes at him, knowing that this would not be easy. “I will make you a deal. If you show me your other form,” she said, nervously pausing to remind herself that she trusted him and wanted to be open with him, “I’ll tell you about what you walked in on.”

He smirked. “My darling Alexandra…” he whispered, kissing her cheek before moving to her ear. “Your not-so-secret secret for mine?”

Initially, she wanted to panic and worry about what he’d think or say or do, but then she saw his skin take on a faint blue hue, growing more vivid over the seconds as his form also began to change. She took in the sight of him, not only the beautiful color, but the intricate markings, both hands moving to trace over his face. With his eyes closed, he looked like he was almost enjoying it. “You… wow…”

Loki couldn’t help but chuckle at her reaction. “Seriously? _Wow? _That’s your response?” he questioned, his eyes opening to see her blushing face.

She felt her mouth open but nothing came out, the sight of ruby-like eyes leaving her a bit stunned. The Loki she’d known was there, but he was different as well. “The lines… are they everywhere? Would it be weird for you if I said I wanted to see and touch them more?”

“Yes, they are everywhere,” he replied, his face softening at her request. “I will let you do whatever you’d like - after you tell me what you were really doing when I arrived.” He watched her struggle with her thoughts for a moment and stroked her cheek again. “I am here, at my most emotionally vulnerable, for you. Please be open with me.”

“The notepad,” she started, moving to close the space between them, “I was thinking about all those huge life decisions everyone has to make. Where we want to go, what we want to do, who we want around us.”

Loki summoned the list to them and held it for them both to view. “Your happiness isn’t necessarily tied to being in New York or working for Stark, but you are content with those things and you enjoy your work and wish to continue it. You’d like to travel to a few interesting places - Japan, very interesting choice,” he said before smiling at her to set her at ease.

“Yes. I’m sure I could be happy living in a lot of places, doing various things.”

“You don’t feel strongly either way about marriage, other than that you _would_ marry again for the _right_ person. That right person is…” he said, his eyes widening at the list in an obviously overly dramatic way, “an _extremely _long list of things. Could such a person exist to meet your demands?” He smirked playfully at her.

Alex blushed. “You should realize that _you_ are all of those things.”

“Kind? Gentle?” he questioned.

She ran her fingers through his hair as she pressed herself against him and pecked his lips. “Yes and yes. Don’t try to tell me you don’t think you’re either of those things. You know you are and you have acted that way toward me.”

“Who are these women you’ve listed?” he questioned, seeing her little comparison chart of names, careers, locations, spouses, and children.

“Some of my friends. I tried to look at a variety of them, just to see if anything made me think more about what I want.”

“Did that help you decide?” he asked, sending the notepad back to the nightstand as hestroked her back. He wondered if his touch felt odd to her in this form, but she didn’t seem to mind it.

“At first, I felt like a failure. I judged myself based on what they’d achieved. Living abroad,adventures, relationship successes, careers, homes, and families,” she said, sighing. “Then, I started putting myself in their shoes, thinking about whether I’d be happy in any of their lives and recalling the various troubles they’ve each had over the years.”

“What did you learn from your exercise?” Loki asked, enjoying the way that she relied on logic and how she tried to think things through rather than merely reacting emotionally. Having done the opposite himself _on occasion_, this trait of hers was something that brought balance to their relationship. He held back a contented sigh as he mentally added it to the list of reasons why _she_ was right for _him_.

“I lied to myself for a long time. It was easier to say that life had taken my choices away from me and to continue to pretend that I didn’t want those things anyway. It hurt less to pretend that they were impossible.” She paused and traced the lines on his forehead, feeling some sort of calm from the act. “Maintaining the status quo is often easier than going after things you want when you know that they will be difficult to achieve.”

He closed his eyes and enjoyed the gentle way her fingers traced his face and down his neck. “And the mirror,” he asked quietly, “how did that enter into your analysis?”

“You know that gentleman caller I mentioned in the elevator?” she whispered, stopping what she was doing in favor of curling up against his chest and breathing in his scent.

“Mmm… the one who makes you radiantly happy and is a god in the bedroom?” he joked, kissing her head before letting her nuzzle against him.

“The one and only,” she replied, kissing his chest before her lips briefly pressed against the markings over his heart. “I realized that I love him a few days ago.”

Loki breathed in rather sharply at the feeling of her tongue on his skin, the heat of her mouth contrasting with his cooler body. He rarely stayed in this form for long and had never been in this sort of intimate situation. “Alexandra… focus, darling,” he whispered, not wanting the touches to overshadow her words.

“I want to be all the things that he’s seen in his dreams, even the ones that he thought I didn’t see, the ones he won’t dare admit openly.”

His red eyes flashed open and he moved them to their sides again so they could look at each other fully, as equals. He wasn’t entirely sure what she was suggesting, but knew he’d tried his best to hold back one or two overwhelming visions that Frigga had shared. They’d been too much for him to admit to himself, let alone allow her to see. He wet his lips nervously. “What are you saying?”

“I’m sorry I called you a _fiend_ before…”

“Tell me what you saw when you said that,” he asked, wanting to verify what he believed she saw at the time.

Alex blushed and blinked, shifting her eyes down to his chest to watch as her fingertip traced over the lines near his heart. “It was a sudden reaction to seeing you…”

He stilled her hand with his own and used his nose to nudge hers. “Seeing me…” Her reaction was endearingly shy.

After silently admonishing herself for being so bashful about saying the words, she finally did. “We were both naked and you had me pinned down on a bed and you were suckling at my breasts,actually _drinking_ from me.”

Stifling the desirous sound that threatened to come from his throat, he kissed her cheek and nuzzled his nose against hers again. “How did that make you feel?” he asked quietly.

She exhaled softly as his lips moved to her cheek, then to her neck, sweetly kissing her skin in a tender, reassuring way rather than something more heated. “At first? I only thought of it as some sort of kinky thing and, well, I said what I said. After I thought about all my friends and _you _and _me _and what I really wanted… what _you _really wanted…”She paused to accept the soft peck he placed on her lips before he went back to nuzzling his face against hers.

“You saw it in context, you understood that it was more. That I wanted more.”

“Yes, I did. I tried to imagine my life and every scenario I came up with, every different place to live, every different job to take, all the friends and colleagues and family that could be in it… and you were the one thing that I kept coming back to.” She kissed him just as softly this time, letting her lips linger for a moment.

Loki watched as she moved onto her back before he reached out, running a finger down her sternum and abdomen. “You are no longer worried about getting swept up by excitement and losing control?” he asked as he watched her skin react to his cool touch.

“I can’t promise to be free from worries or momentary hesitations, but I trust you,” she answered as he touched his cheek to get him to look at her again. “Who better to help me lose control than the God of Chaos?”

He expected to see a playful smirk on her face, but saw sincerity in her eyes and was momentarily taken aback. No one ever equated his godly role with something _good. _In general, people usually regarded that side of him as something that would only bring strife and misfortune to them. To frame it the way she had, as something to put trust in and gain security from, made him feel more appreciated than he had in a long while.However, there was one matter she did not completely explain to his satisfaction. He smirked and suddenly pounced on her, his face hovering above hers as his body trapped hers against the bed. “Would you say that you were _embracing chaos_ in front of the mirror, then?” he questioned, suggestively raising an eyebrow at her.

“Am I not _destined_ to?” she answered playfully as she moved her legs to either side of his hips.

He let his lips glance over her cheek before whispering in her ear. “I did not want to overwhelm you, but clearly you are not overwhelmed by thoughts of what you would look like carrying my child.”

Alex ran a hand through his hair and hugged him tightly to her. “I know you were protecting me, but I also know that part of why you tried - unsuccessfully - to hide it is because you were embarrassed. Like my silly little moment in front of the mirror - it could’ve only been more mortifying if I’d had a pillow shoved under my shirt for maximum impact.”

“I found it quite endearing, darling.” He smiled at the thought again, then moved to press her hand to his forehead as he looked at her face again. “If you can admit that, then I can admit the rest…” he whispered. He hadn’t shared this side of himself with anyone else, but the woman gazing up at him was to be his.He watched as the sweetest little smile appeared on her face, knowing she’d seen the last visions Frigga had left with him. “When I was held captive, part of…” he began, pausing to reflect for a moment before resuming, “no, _the _reason I was able to survive was because I had these visions to think about.”

She closed her eyes and took in the various moments that flickered into her mind. Their hands being tied together by Thor. Flashes of lovemaking in numerous locations and in a variety of ways. Loki waking her up in the middle of the night because the constant presence of his hand on her belly had finally resulted in feeling the first kicks of their child. Alex pulled her hand away and opened her eyes, seeing the hint of apprehension on his face.

“They gave me hope when there was nothing left.”

Alex watched his face for a moment, the way his eyes almost glistened and his lips didn’t seem to know whether they should smile or frown. As her fingertips traced one of his cheeks, she watched him close his firey eyes and slightly lean his cool, sky-like skin into her palm before he turned to kiss her fingers. “You really do _want _all of this… all of _that, _don’t you?”

“Doesn’t everyone wish to be with someone they adore? Someone who feels the same for them?” he questioned, looking at her again. “I never questioned that I _would_ eventually be tied to another, as that was part of my duties as a prince of the realm, but I never expected that I would be so fortunate as to have a choice to be with a woman I love. When these visions made themselves known, I saw that there was more for me, something deeper than lustful trysts. It made me long to experience it… to find you.”

“That wasn’t what surprised me,” she replied, placing a chaste kiss on his lips.

“Ah, I see.”He thought for a moment, sadly smiling as he rested his forehead against hers. “My brother has an easy manner and, as a fertility god, it is in his nature to project a fatherly image.”

“You’ve always been comfortable projecting an image of the permanent bachelor, the younger brother who will never settle down, who had numerous lovers and flings, haven’t you?” she whispered, nuzzling her nose against his.

“I have,” he replied. “It was often easier to play the role I was assigned than to allow others to see me as I am.” He heard her stifle a soft laugh, the air exiting her nose in a few short exhales instead. “Did I say something amusing?” he questioned, drawing back and looking down at her quizzically.

“I felt like I’ve been playing a role, too. You know that.” Alex shook her head and wrapped her legs around his waist. “I like seeing you as you are,” she said as she wrapped her arms around his body and pulled him closer. “You may be a prince and a god and from another realm, but you’re also just a man… with all the same hopes and dreams that a man might have in any realm.”

“Yes…” For a moment, he allowed himself to sink into her embrace.

“I want that, too,” she whispered in his ear.“I want all those simple, beautiful moments.”

His head popped up and he stared down at her. “With me?” he asked, the part of him that had always been the second choice needing to hear it confirmed out loud.

Alexandra smiled up at him, taking in the sight of his familiar face and his Jotun features. “With you, Prince Loki of Asgard - and Jotunheim.”

“What about the handfasting?” he asked with a grin.

“Would you like to rephrase or did you intend to ask me that implied question?” she asked, one eyebrow raised as she tried not to smirk at him.

He could feel his cheeks grow purple with the blush that she provoked. “How would you feel if I did intend that?” he whispered before his lips moved to her forehead and he breathed in her scent.

“That is the Asgardian binding ceremony, isn’t it?” she asked, continuing to prod him.

“It is…”

“Pretty much the equivalent to a wedding around these parts, isn’t it?” she went on, feeling movement of his lips that must’ve been a smirk or smile or something.

“I suppose so…”

Alex felt his arms hold her a little bit tighter and wondered if it had been an intentional orsubconscious act. Her hands moved to his chest, feeling the various lines and ridges of his form and the way that his heart seemed to be beating just a bit harder and faster than it hadminutes before. “How would I feel if you intended to ask me to engage in an Asgardian marital rite?” She heard him hum softly in response.“If I knew that you were planning to ask me to marry you, I would feel the same way I do right now.”

He couldn’t stop himself from laughing a bit at her response. It sounded like the sort of evasive answer that he would have given had their roles been reversed. Pulling back enough for them to look at each other again, he moved a hand to her face and held her gaze, unable to stop smiling as he realized - yet again - how she was so perfect for him. “Which is?” he questioned, watching her as a half-smile, half-smirk appeared on her face.

“You wouldn’t have asked the first question if you weren’t already planning on asking me, so I already know that you are,” she answered, watching as his mouth opened and closed as he realized that there was no argument to be made. “So, now that I know that you’re planning that, how do I feel? I feel a bit terrified and intimidated, somewhat nervous and excited, but mostly… happy and in love. I’ll ask you again - would you like to rephrase your original question?”

He smirked. “Not at the moment.” 

The response earned him a rather flabbergasted look from Alex, after which he was playfully smacked with her pillow and a brief tussle ensued until both of them were laughing. The rest of the evening was spent enjoying the best ‘welcome home’ he could recall - even better than the time Fandral had arranged for a night of group debauchery with some of Asgard’s most enthusiastic ladies. That night had made his head spin, but this… 

Alexandra made him lose control and surrender to the overwhelmingly wonderful feelings of love and passion. They made love repeatedly that night until the early morning. Though he had gone back to his Aesir form at first, at some point in the night his thoughts were so consumed by Alex and the feelings surging between them that his glamour dropped and he didn’t realize it until they both collapsed on the bed next to each other and she began tracing the lines over his chest until they fell asleep.


	14. Kinky Temple Sex?

The following week, Alex scheduled to be in and out of meetings over some ongoing lawsuits against the company, two groups of product development staff and patent attorneys for more of Tony’s inventions, the director of one of Tony’s charitable foundations, and an appearance with Tony at yet another event.When she arrived at her office on Monday morning, Linda stopped her at her secretary’s desk with a grin on her face. “Good weekend, Lin?” she asked.

“Oh, yes, I suppose it was. My monthly book club meeting, time with my grandchildren…” Linda answered, taking a sip of her coffee. “It seems like you must’ve had quite the weekend yourself…”

Alex looked at her questioningly. “Stop hinting and spill it, Lin,” she said, knowing the older woman’s tendency to poke and prod at her social life.

“That young man of yours stopped by this morning,” Linda said with a playful smile as she turned her coffee mug around, showing that it was now enchanted to cycle through a slideshow of family photos. “Awfully nice of him to put the kids’ pictures on it.”

“He can be very thoughtful,” she replied, watching the mug for a moment. “Why was he here?”

Linda grinned again and pushed open the door to Alex’s office. “I think he’s rather smitten with you, hun.”

Alex looked inside to find a beautiful arrangement of green orchids on her desk. “Maybe a little…” she said as she looked back to Linda, blushing.

“Better get to it, you have a meeting in an hour,” the woman said before grinning again and walking back to her desk.

She went to her desk and picked up the envelope he’d obviously left for her next to the flowers.

_My Darling Alexandra,_

_Lady Linda has informed me of your busy schedule this week. The pen is mightier than the sword, my sweet Valkryie. I know you shall wield it well. Should you need anything while vanquishing Stark’s foes, I am merely a call away._

_Your Devoted Prince,_

_Loki_

The sweetness of his words made her heart flutter. She picked up her phone and sent him a quick text message, thanking him before she began preparing for her first meeting of the week.The notes appeared on her desk each morning for the rest of the week, setting the tone that carried her through the many meetings and events. She was so busy, in and out of the officeeach day, that she hadn’t been able to see him all week. They’d shared a few messages back and forth to stay in touch, but neither of them found it enough.

On Friday, she blushed quite brightly at the morning’s message, which was in a wax-sealed envelope with a single pale green rose resting on her desk.

_Sweetling,_

_Please join me in my quarters in the tower at noon. I will have something delivered from that little French bistro you enjoy. My Darling, I caught a glimpse of you leaving with Stark last night to go to the black-tie charity benefit and my heart ached at your loveliness. Though I managed to refrain from putting on a tuxedo and making an appearance at the event just to dance with you again, I long for you. I ache to hold you, to kiss you, to tell you how much I love you, to take you to my temple and worship you with every godly power I possess._

_Your Adoring God,_

_Loki_

Alex knew his words meant “lunch” as much as “Netflix and chill” meant calmly watching a movie. At noon, she left her office and stepped into the elevator to go to Loki’s apartment a few floors away. She smiled as she arrived at the door, remembering those first sweet interactions they’d had at his place. Before she could knock, the door opened and she was pulled inside.

“Hello…” he whispered in her ear as he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her against him, smirking as his fingers began inching her skirt up her thighs.

“Hi…” she practically squeaked as she felt his long fingers slip under her skirt and grope her bottom ever so gently.

“FRIDAY, please inform Stark that Alexandra is taking the afternoon off. Her schedule has already been cleared,” he said with a grin, watching as her mouth fell open.

“Did you just do that?” she blurted out, a mix of surprise and slight annoyance in her voice.

“It was Lin’s idea, Sweetling,” he replied, his hands ghosting up and down the curve of her hips. “She informed me of the hours you’ve been working this week and the messes you’ve sorted out - that Stark caused, no less - and then, quite sternly I might add, she said that my _honor_ as Prince demanded that I rescue you from spending another late night in the office.”

Alex snorted at the overly dramatic way he explained it all and let her hands slide up his chest and meet behind his neck. “Well, then, of course you had to do it. Your honor was on the line. Asgard would have been shamed if I had eaten more greasy takeout at 10 pm while revising yet another document.”

He laughed softly at the way she joined in, then kissed her lips affectionately, his hands sliding to her waist and holding her to him as his lips gently explored hers. Slowly, he guided her backwards until he’d pressed her against the closed door and caged her in with his body. “Did you enjoy my letter this morning?” he said, teasing her with a slight grind of his hips against her so she could feel his eagerness as his lips glided up her neck. 

“You have quite the imagination,” she answered, her breathing already getting excited by the passion that was swift building between them. “You’re lucky Lin didn’t find that and read all about how my boyfriend wants to have kinky temple sex.”

_Boyfriend, _he thought with a chuckle and a smirk before gripping her under her thighs and carrying her toward his bedroom. “Your _betrothed_ is a _god,_ Sweetling” he said as he kicked the door closed behind him and they suddenly found themselves in his temple back on Asgard. He’d cast the illusion after writing his missive to her, wanting to make good on his words.

Alex looked around as he pressed her against what was supposed to be the door, but ended up being a stone wall. “Loki…” she half-gasped as she saw that his room was now a dimly lit vaulted room of black marble. His bed had been replaced by a golden altar with his sigil on the wall behind it in green stone that seemed to glow from within. Torches were the only source of lighting in the room, resting in holders extending out from the walls at intervals.

He kissed her briefly, unable to stop from smirking. “You’ve been aroused all morning, haven’t you?” he asked, thrusting his hips against her center again. “Anxiously waiting, wondering what you would find…”

“Loki, you turned your bedroom into…”

He grinned, holding onto her as he walked through the room. “It is a replica of my temple.”

“So… we’re actually…?” she asked, blushing as she thought of the things he’d written in his letter.

Loki hugged her to him for a moment, doing his best to calm himself. “Only if you would like to, Alexandra.” He kissed her lips softly. “I may be a god, but I take only willing sacrifices.” When he saw her eyes open wide in shock, he chuckled softly.

“I am _not_ a sacrifice, Mister,” she said, poking his chest playfully.

“I apologize, you are quite correct,” he said as he carried her toward the golden centerpiece of the room. “You are my goddess and I will worship _you_ on my very own altar…”

“Loki…” she whispered as he set her on the edge of the altar, feeling a bit bashful about the scenario. She’d never really done anything like this before. Charles had never been adventurous and, before it died a very premature death, their sex life had been boring and unsatisfying on account of his lack of passion (or prowess…).

“Shh…” He made a gesture with his hand and Alex’s skirt suit was turned into a sheer dark green robe with a golden sash. He was in his ceremonial golden armor and helm, both of which gleamed in the torchlight.“Mmm… much better. I do love it when you wear my colors, particularly in such an enticing manner.”

_Oooh…_ she thought as she looked him over. He always looked good, but this was different. The golden armor that covered his broad form was enticingly shiny. His eyes were tempestuous as he stared at her from a few steps away, hungrily looking over her body in the barely there material that clung to her.

“I have always wanted to do this,” he said quietly, knowing that it would help coax her into the scene he’d created. He watched as she made herself more comfortable, placing her body in the center of the altar before resting on her side, propped up on one arm as her other hand smoothed down her shape. Her legs were stretched out, a hint of skin showing as the robe slipped off them near her knees. _Norns…_ He wanted to be that hand right now, feeling the smooth, sheer fabric that hid nothing but accentuated everything.

Alex looked over at Loki and took out the few pins that had been holding up her hair. It soon cascaded down in a mess of auburn waves, sweeping to the side nearer to the altar and pooling there. “You’ve never actually done this before?” she questioned with a little closed-mouth smile that betrayed the bit of glee that his words made her feel.

Loki chuckled, unable to maintain his seriousness entirely as he recalled what he had always done instead. “No, my dear, I have not,” he answered quietly as he slowly stepped closer. “I did enjoy thoroughly defiling Thor’s temple, though. He hated it, which made it all the more fun.” He smirked as he arrived at the altar and placed his hands down on it, leaning on it slightly as he thought for a moment.

Alex sat up and moved closer to him, her fingertips gently stroking over the face of his helm and following the design up his jaw and past his temples before drawing away. “May I?” she asked as her eyes blinked up to the gleaming horns.

Curiosity got the best of him as he wondered what she planned to do. “Yes,” he answered, watching as she moved onto her knees in front of him and lifted up enough to reach better. “It _is_ heavy, Sweetling.”

“I’ll be careful,” she said as she moved closer, her hands moving up the face of the helm again before she slipped them higher.

Loki was treated to a view of her breasts, covered by the green gossamer and gold sash that presented them like a wrapped gift. “Will you do this every time I come back from battle?” he whispered, briefly looking up at her face with a grin as her hands touched the horns.

“Isn’t it a common practice to have your lady assist you with your armor?” she asked as her fingers slid up the cool, golden length of the horns before coming down again. The sensation of the smooth metal in her hands was more than a normal metal. She could feel the power humming within it.

He felt her slightly lift the helm and reached up to bring her hands down to the base. “It is easier this way,” he said, guiding her movements - and assisting her a _tiny _bit with his seidr to prevent her from losing her grip or the balance of the cumbersome item, “and yes, it is a slightly antiquated ritual, but a few do still perform it.”

Alex lifted the helm off of Loki’s head and raised an eyebrow as she realized that he’d lightened it for her.She sat back on her feet and brought the helm to her lap before looking at his face. “I’d like to do that for you,” she answered, one hand sweeping over the metal a last time before she set it to the side. “It’s very…”

“Intimate?” Loki leaned closer, his hands cupping her jaw as he kissed her gently at first, but then with a bit more passion. Unlike Thor, he hadn’t had a lover do this for him in the past. While Thor would be fussed over by more than one woman, he would quietly retreat to his chambers and use his seidr to remove his own armor in a flash of efficiency. Secretly, he’d always wanted to feel what it was like to have someone to return to this way, someone who cared for him enough to take their time with such a tradition. Their lips wandered against each other for another moment before he drew again. “I would be honored if you wished to do so in the future, love. Please continue…” he said, holding his arms out to her with his palms up.

It took a moment to figure out how the armor came undone, but she soon took off his vambraces and set them with his helm to one corner of the altar. She occasionally looked to his face as he watched her, smiling at the way he seemed so pleased by her actions. With each strap unclasped and every new bit of him uncovered, she became more excited for her task to be completed. She looked down and smirked as she realized that he had used his seidr to remove the lower half of his armor and boots. _Apparently he couldn’t wait either, _she thought as she helped him loosen the breastplate and pull it off. Then, she helped him out of his black undershirt, leaving him in his leather pants - which he made quick work of with a flash of green.

“I did not ask you here for _kinky temple sex_, darling,” Loki said as he leaned in again and placed his forehead against hers. Without drawing any attention to it, he used his seidr to place his armor into his pocket dimension, clearing the altar for their use.

“Oh?” She asked, tenderly sweeping her hands up the sides of his face and into his hair, her fingers sliding through the black waves before descending his shoulders and resting gently against his chest. “Is there something else you’d like?”

He thought for a moment. “Would you allow me to escort you to my _actual _temple in New Asgard?” he asked quietly, placing his hands over hers as they rested on his chest.

“Only if you’ll make us, or at least me, invisible until we get there…” she replied, drawing back and gesturing to her clothing. “This is only for _you_, Loki.”

“On that point, I do agree wholeheartedly,” he said with a grin, casting an illusion to make them both appear fully clothed to any others they may have come across. “Come here and hold on tight,” he said, his hands moving to accept her weight as she wrapped her legs around his waist and her arms behind his neck. It was a sensation of which he would never tire.He strode through the apartment and down the hall until he reached the elevator.

“Well hello, lovebirds,” Tony said with a teasing grin as he stood in the elevator that had arrived on the floor, heading up to the penthouse. “You look rather cozy.”

Though he felt Alex try to squirm out of his arms, Loki held her in place. “Appointment with the Bifrost…” he said as the lift ascended.

“How’s Pepper?” Alex asked, trying her best to do anything to distract him from the fact that she was being carried around at the moment.

“I’ve never seen someone who was nauseated every waking moment, so that’s a first…” Stark answered. “Doc says it should stop soon, but in the meantime I should probably find an eating contest for toast.” He lifted two bags from the market, each of them filled with different kinds of breads. “She could give those hot dog guys a real challenge.”

Loki laughed at the joke, imagining the rather svelte and well-mannered Virginia cramming her face full of food like Volstagg and Thor at a post-battle feast.

“I’m sure that once she’s feeling better everything will get back to normal,” Alex said with a reassuring smile.

“You need a croissant while I’m here?” Tony said, lifting one of the bags with a laugh.

“Better not, my dear,” Loki warned. “The Bifrost can be a bit upsetting the first few times.”

“Oh god, don’t remind me,” Stark said as the lift stopped and they all walked out.

“Go make Pepper some toast and be nice, Tony. Give her a foot massage and put on a Tom Hiddleston movie - at our age, women regard that alone as foreplay.” Alex joked, getting a good laugh out of him.

“Thanks, Princess Peach,” Tony grinned. “You enjoy your time in New Asgard with our Dark Lord. If you’re bringing back souvenirs, see if they can do a gold chalice with my name on it in rubies, ‘kay?” Stark strolled off in one direction, leaving Loki carrying Alex down the hallway.

“It appears that I am not the only man in your life, Sweetling,” he said with a smirk as he used his seidr to open the doors leading onto the rooftop garden.

Alex playfully rolled her eyes and stared at him. “Oh, please. Like any mere mortal could compare to you,” she said with a smile as he paused in a clear area.

“Heimdall, if you’d please,” Loki said, looking toward the north-east. A second later, they were swallowed up by the Bifrost and deposited in the new observatory. 

Although she felt the movement of them through the Bifrost stop and could tell that Loki was standing still, Alex felt incredibly dizzy and clung to Loki with her face hidden against his neck.

“Prince Loki, Miss…” the gatekeeper said as he tried not to laugh at the poor woman.

“Sweetling, this is Heimdall, guardian of Asgard,” he whispered to her, getting her to take a look at the other man. “Heimdall, this is Alexandra Atherton, my betrothed.” He watched as the man appeared to search for words, his mouth moving but nothing coming forth from him. Loki smirked at the sight of the guardian left speechless.

“We’re not engaged,” Alex said quietly, raising an eyebrow at Loki for introducing her that way.

“Fine…” he replied. “Heimdall, this is my _soon-to-be-_betrothed,” Loki clarified, getting a chuckle out of the man this time.

“I see you are well-suited,” he quipped, teasing the Prince. “It is not often someone dares to correct the Prince.”

Loki smirked at her for a moment. “Oh, I have a favor to ask of you, Heimdall.” He watched the man in gold nod and stand at attention. “Keep an eye out for this Tom Hiddleston I have heard of recently, it seems he is quite the rogue. Alert me if he should ever come within a mile of Alexandra.” He winked.

“I shall be vigilant, my Prince.” The gatekeeper knew when the trickster was joking and held back his amusement.

“You’re having him watch an actor just because I said he is good looking?” she asked as Loki strode out of the observatory and down the much shorter bridge that had been installed.

He rolled his eyes playfully. “I am teasing you, my dear.”

“You’re the rogue…” she whispered, poking his chest.

With a smirk, he stopped in the middle of the bridge. “Behave yourself,” he whispered in her ear as his hands kneaded where her ass and thighs came together, grinding her against him. “Otherwise I will have no choice but to lay you down right here and consecrate our betrothal on this bridge instead of in my temple.”As Alex stared at him in shock, he resumed walking toward the palace.Thankfully, this bridge was far, far shorter than the original.

She quieted down and looked at the area around them. The colors of the bridge, the gleaming gold of the palace, the verdant surroundings of the outskirts of the city ahead, and the blue ocean that surrounded them at the moment. “This is beautiful…”

He kissed her cheek as he stepped onto solid ground. “Welcome to New Asgard, my love.”

Alex blushed as he refused to set her down, carrying her through a small marketplace. “They can’t see me, can they?” she asked, making the deduction after no one even mentioned that Loki was carrying a woman through the city streets.

“They believe I am carrying my helm in one hand and a large missive from Vanaheim in the other,” he replied. “Forgive me, but I did not want to share you with them yet. We have an important matter to attend to first.”

“Plenty of time for introductions later,” she agreed, softly smiling as she hugged herself to him and watched the city over his shoulder.It really was lovely. Clean and bright, with people who seemed to be in good spirits and living comfortably together, the city seemed to be pulled from story books. It was a bit strange not to have cars whizzing by in the streets, but there was something comforting about the occasional clop-clop of horse hooves and carriages that passed. “Is there a population boom going on?” she asked, seeing a surprising number of children around.

Loki grinned. It was a point of pride for he and Thor to see that the Asgardians were not only surviving in their new home, but thriving. The birth rate, which was very low compared to Midgardians’ rabbit-like ways and short life spans, had quadrupled since they settled in New Asgard. “I suppose you could call it that. Now that they are safe and well, it is only natural for the people to wish to restore the kingdom to its full glory.”

“That boy looks like Thor…” She blinked a few times. “That baby looks like Thor…”

He laughed softly. “Thor is the template for what the average Asgardian man looks like, Alexandra. Though there is some variation, Asgardians have not been as diverse as Midgardians. Perhaps, in time, that will change. We have no intention of preventing our people from interacting with those of this realm. It will be interesting to see what happens and the ways the kingdom will grow. I believe Thor did a ceremony recently to bind a young woman to a man from Sweden who plays the sport on ice Midgardians enjoy.”

“Hockey.”

“Yes, that’s the one. They keep a summer cottage here.”

“Prince Loki! Prince Loki!”

Alex turned to look for where the little voices were coming from and spotted a little girl and her slightly younger brother running hand-in-hand toward them.

Loki paused and smiled. “Inara and Torbin, two of my favorite young people,” he said, watching as the little boy bowed and the little girl did her best curtsey. “Such grace and good manners.”

That Loki had _favorite _little kids in the kingdom would’ve probably stunned Tony, but for Alex, it was more evidence of the sweet side of him that she had gotten to know. She silently watched the exchange and the expressions that appeared on Loki’s face in reaction to the two children.

“You said we could come to the next feast if we learned, Prince Loki.”

He used his seidr to place two tiny envelopes in their little hands. “Indeed, I did. You had both best run along and practice your dancing so that you can join in the celebrations when the time comes.” He gave them a conspiratorial wink, which Torbin attempted to return.

The children tore into the envelopes, then realized they could not yet read the ornate writing on the notes. “Your parents will read them to you,” he said with a slight chuckle.

“Thank you, Prince Loki!” the two said, repeating their earlier actions before scurrying away.

When Loki turned his attention back to Alex, he found her staring at him with a look of urgency. “Darling?” he asked, resuming his walking.

“That was the most adorable thing I think I have ever seen…” she whispered, watching him grin rather proudly.

He glanced at her again. “Why do you look as if you are about to set me on fire with your eyes alone? Should I be afraid?”

The innocent look on his face and the way he practically batted his lashes at her only made seeing him interacting with children impact her emotions more. “You know exactly why, Loki,” she answered, her fingers toying with a few of his curls. “Temple, please.”

_Forget walking_… He made a gesture with one hand and transported them the few hundred meters to the entrance of his temple. Thankfully, today was not one of the days that the temple was open for worshippers. After checking to ensure that they were alone, he placed Alex on the marble floor of the entryway and removed the spells he’d cloaked them with before, his armor and helm appearing again from his inter dimensional storage for good measure.

She jumped slightly as a breeze went right through the flimsy fabric of her robe, suddenly getting a reminder of how exposed she really was at the moment. “Inside would be good…”

Loki turned to face her and placed his hands on her shoulders, gently holding her. “Are you sure?” Her long waves were gently tousled by the soft breeze, appearing like strands of copper with the sun shining down. She looked beyond enticing.

Her eyes questioned him in response. 

“Once we enter and perform the ritual, we will be betrothed.”

Alex could feel his hands trembling against her skin. “You _could_ ask, you know…” she said with a playful smile, wanting to ease his anxieties.

“As you wish,” he replied, moving onto his knees before her and taking her hand in both of his.

She was stunned that he was actually abiding by such a Midgardian tradition, but the tender way he held her hands and sincerity in his eyes made it clear that he was not doing this in jest.

“I, Loki, Prince of Asgard and Rightful Heir of Jotunheim, God of Mischief, Chaos, and Lies,” he said, watching as Alex looked genuinely surprised that he was on _both_ knees before her, “ask you, Alexandra of Midgard, to agree to be consecrated to me as my goddess, my partner, and my mate.”

She took a moment to take in the sight of him - a god and a prince, full ceremonial armor and helm, anxiously gazing up at her as he knelt in the entrance to _his _temple. “Stand up,” she whispered in response.

His eyes narrowed, but he rose from the ground with his hands still holding hers. Briefly, he wondered if she was refusing, but then talked some sense into himself. She had told him to ask, after all.

“Unlock the door.” She gestured toward the temple, watching as he did the same, presumably unlocking it for her.

Loki saw the soft smile on her face as she withdrew her hands and briefly looked toward the door, her body language making her answer clear.He stepped closer, sweeping her into his arms and carrying her under her knees and back.

“Yes,” she whispered, watching the way his eyes shimmered with happiness.

He stepped inside the temple, allowing the door to close behind him. His long strides carried him to the altar, where he placed Alex so her legs hung over the edge. “Beautiful…” he whispered, removing his helm as he admired the way her pale skin contrasted with the sheer dark green of the robe. Her auburn waves fell down her shoulders and chest, drawing his eyeslower.He set his helm on the floor at his side and knelt in front of the altar.

Alex gasped in surprise as he suddenly pressed her thighs open with his hands and placed himself between them. The gown was spread open, exposing her to him. She took in the hungry smirk that flashed over his face and then closed her eyes as he pulled her to the edge and sank his mouth between her thighs. She listened to him groan before she felt his skilled tongue run over her and then dip inside her. He teased her until she whispered his name.

“Mmm, Loki…”

Hearing the needy tone of her voice, his lips wrapped around her clit and his tongue swirled over her until her breathing came in pants and whimpers. Before she could climb any higher, he withdrew and stood between her thighs. He used his seidr to remove his armor and clothing, all of it shimmering away until he stood naked before her.“Lie down, love,” he said quietly, watching as she slid to the middle of the altar and did as he asked, a nervous hint of a smile on her face. He stepped to the end of the altar near her feet.

“Loki?” She watched the way he stood there, his eyes almost glaring as he looked her over. She wondered if she was supposed to be doing or saying something. Wasn’t this supposed to be a ritual?

He could hear the uncertainty in her voice and knew that she felt awkward and was unsure of what was to happen and her role in it. His hands wrapped around her ankles for a moment, then slid up her legs toward her knees. Gently nudging them apart, he then hoisted himself onto the altar.

Alex stopped worrying about what she ought to be doing as Loki began crawling his way up her body, his eyes smirking at her before his mouth pressed a kiss on one knee, then the other. The torchlight flickered in his eyes, causing him to look slightly dangerous. Her heart fluttered at the sight of him.

“Yes, Sweetling?” he asked, moving closer and running his tongue up the inside of one of her thighs. He heard her take in a breath and smirked, his eyes meeting hers again before he shifted and his tongue slipped up her other thigh with less haste. Her chest was rising and falling with each breath, the desire apparent as he caught glimpse of her hardened pink nipples under the sheer robe.

She could feel his breaths between her spread legs, but couldn’t stop staring back at Loki’s face as he hovered with his face over her lap. He drew his tongue over his bottom lip, then his top lip before she watched him look down and heard him groan. “N..n..nevermind…” she whispered as she watched him continue.

Loki couldn’t resist and leaned down, his tongue taking a long swipe over her arousal. “Mmm, already so excited,” he said before placing a kiss on her clit and moving upwards. “I love the way your body reacts to me. So slick for me, so delicious…”

Just as she thought he would dive back in to tasting her, Alex watched as he placed kisses up her abdomen, his hands pulling the robe open and his eyes repeatedly coming back to hers as he crawled upward with each one. She sighed as he kissed her sternum, then gasped as she felt his tongue circle her right nipple.“Oh, Loki…” she sighed, her breath catching as he gently tugged on the aroused flesh with his teeth.

He surrounded her little bud with his lips and gently sucked as he drew away, his eyes shifting upward to find her head falling back and her mouth opening. He groaned again. The sight of her was almost too much. He moved to her other nipple and felt her hands move into his hair as he sucked it and some of the surrounding flesh into his mouth.

“Ohmygod…” she half-gasped, half-whimpered as her fingers dug into his hair and she heard him growl in response.

Loki smirked after letting go of her nipple. “Yes, your god…” With that, he crawled the remaining way up her body until their faces were mere inches apart. Her gentle hands dropped from his hair and moved down his shoulders and arms before sliding to his sides and then onto his back, pulling him down to rest against her. He struggled to maintain his composure as he felt his erection become pressed between their bodies and her legs cradled him there. Norns, how he wanted her. “… who loves and adores you, Alexandra.”

Alex stared up at him, watching the way his emotions swirled over him, his expression hinting at his feelings as he gazed down at her.There was happiness, love, hope, concern, desire, and comfort, but there was also a touch of uncertainty or even fear. “I love you, Loki,” she whispered, seeing his sea-like eyes moisten and a gentle smile appear on his face.

He paused, his nose gently nuzzling hers as he closed his eyes and absorbed her words. “Give yourself to me, love,” he whispered, feeling her hands smoothing down and coming to rest on the small of his back. He ground his pelvis against her and opened his eyes when he heard her soft moan.

“Yes….”

With that, they moved together in perfect synch as Loki slid lower and Alex opened to him, wrapping her legs around his waist as his tip finally pressed against her entrance. She was wonderfully ready to take him and Loki could wait no longer, his hips thrusting forward as he captured her lips with his own. They sighed and moaned between kisses as he filled her, sliding inside until she had taken all of him.

Loki growled as their kisses grew more passionate, his body grinding against hers before drawing back and sliding forward again. The warmth of her quim was overwhelming. She was squeezing him so tightly, yet her arousal made her so slick that every thrust was smooth and left them both moaning and sighing in pleasure.

Alex’s hands cupped the back of his head as she took charge of the kiss, hungrily tasting his lips before swirling her tongue against his. Sex with Loki had been amazing from the start, but the emotions of the moment seemed to take over and take things to a different level. Suddenly, she felt him lift her up, causing her to squeak in surprise, earning her a deep chuckle from him in response.She opened her eyes and, a moment later, found herself on his lap. She blushed as his eyes opened, no longer a sea but a fire. They pressed their foreheads together for a moment before she kissed him again and he nearly tore the gown off of her in response.

With a desirous groan, his hands slid down her back and gripped her hips, feeling her heated skin against his, the temperature difference adding to the excitement. He began moving her on his lap, guiding her body up and down his length as he managed to rock his pelvis against her each time she came down.Her breasts were pressed against his chest, her aroused nipples dragging over his skin as she moved with him. The sensation was deliciously distracting. When he felt her begin to take over the rhythm, he slid his hands to the soft, full globes and began to gently knead them. The sounds that came from her were pure lust, her voice filled with urgent need for him. He cupped her breasts and let his thumbs tease over her nipples and soon felt her react, her hips bucking against him before raising and lowering again.

“Take your pleasure,” he growled against her neck, his left hand still enjoying her breast as his right hand moved to her hip and then spread out over the small of her back, pulling her down after every time she moved up. “Take me, love. Take it all…” he groaned, listening to her moans and the sound of their bodies coming together.

She felt so completely full each time she met his lap, her body tightening as she approached her peak. His cock was throbbing inside her with every move they made. She gasped as he pinched her nipple and then gripped her ass with both hands. “Loki!!” she moaned, both of them moving harder against each other as the pleasure grew.

Loki kissed her lips briefly before the urge to nuzzle his face against her neck and use his voice on her took over. “You… are… mine,” he said between groans as she bounced and wriggled on him. “Come for me, Alexandra.”He listened to her breathing quicken and felt her suddenly tense up before she cried out and clutched him to her as she shoved herself down on him and kept grinding. “More… give me more…” he growled.

Alex’s eyes opened mid-orgasm as Loki turned the tables. She soon found him on top of her, fucking into her like a jackhammer as he moaned. His thrusts came faster and faster, not even allowing her to come down from her orgasm before she was getting forced into another. Looking to his face, she saw his form changing as his skin went from pale to his Jotun blue.When he blinked his eyes open and she saw his eyes fully crimson, everything inside her clenched before pleasure took her over again. “Loki… yes… please, yes…”

He watched her eyes shut suddenly and moaned as he felt her quim squeeze and throb around him. It was then that he was tipped over, thrusting inside twice more before a rush of his seed filled her cunt to the brim. He nearly collapsed, catching himself before he could fall onto her entirely, and managed to rest on her for a moment with only a fraction of his weight. She was breathing heavily. He was catching his own breath, eyes closed as he let his other senses take in the moment. One of her hands was tenderly stroking his hair as his head rested on her shoulder. The scent of their coupling had taken to the air. As he ran one hand up her side, he felt the sheen of perspiration on her skin. Just as he was about to lift himself off of her, he felt her other hand move to his shoulder and then on to his back, holding him there.

“Mm, don’t move yet,” she hummed, enjoying the afterglow. “You feel good like this.”

Loki chuckled, opening his eyes and lifting his head enough to look at her face. “Heavy, sweaty, sticky, and all over you?” he said, watching her smile back at him. Her bliss-filled eyes, mussed hair, and rosy cheeks were a gorgeous sight.

She blinked down at him again, smiled, and let her head fall back down on the altar. _He doesn’t even realize it_, she thought to herself as she ran her hand through his hair again. “While you are all those things at the moment, I meant that you feel good because you feel like _my _Loki. You aren’t hiding yourself and I can feel that when I’m with you.”

He kissed her shoulder before resting his cheek on her again and his eyes caught sight of his hand as he stroked the side of her body. Without even realizing it, he had changed his form during their joining. Again. “Yours, hmm?” he asked.

“Yep,” she said, emphasizing the end of the word.She heard his soft yet deep chuckle again and smiled as she enjoyed the way his hand slipped up her side and then moved to cup her breast. She gasped as Loki suddenly moved and drew her nipple into his mouth, his body moving against hers in an unintentional thrust. He was still aroused.

“I love the sounds you make,” he said between sucks of her nipple. He ground into her and smirked as she moaned. “Like that…” he said before using his teeth to tug on her nipple and elicited a sharp little cry. “Mmm… and that…”

She felt him suddenly slide mostly out of her before thrusting in completely with a deep grunt. “Loki!” she cried as he dragged his teeth along the side of her neck.

“_That _is my favorite,” he said, moving to hold himself above her with a smirk on his face.

Alex looked up at him, her eyes gazing over the lines that were etched into his blue skin and the adoration in his crimson eyes. Her hands moved to his face and drew his lips down to hers. “I love you,” she whispered against his lips before kissing him, unable to stop herself from deepening the kiss and pulling his body down against hers.

He groaned as she took control, her tongue delving into his mouth as her legs hooked around his waist and she thrust against him. Her fingers slid up and into his hair as her mouth hungrily assaulted his. “Fuck,” he growled as she tugged his hair.

She looked up at him and smirked, tugging a little harder. He glared at her, his eyes looking more fiery than they had before. “You like it…” she moaned back to him as he groaned again and thrust against her. Alex pressed up to kiss him again, but soon found herself pressed down on the altar with her wrists being held down near the sides of her head. She looked at Loki again, realizing that _his _hands were now holding her under her knees and pressing them up toward her chest to hold her wide open to him.

Loki smirked as he watched her eyes, wide and darkening gray, move from his hands to his face, darting side to side as she silently questioned him.

“That’s my girl,” she heard him say despite his lips not moving.

He watched the way her chest rose and fell a little faster, her breathing picking up as she figured out what he’d done. Though it only took a couple seconds, the exchange would remain with him in a slow-motion memory - all of the shock, the slight fear and anxiety, the silent admission of arousal, and the way she gave in to him in the moment and enjoyed his surprise.

Alex raised her chin and looked above and slightly behind her, finding a double of Loki - the Asgardian-appearing Loki - standing there with his face hovering near hers. She tried to raise her hands to touch him, but he pressed them back down onto the altar and smirked down at her.

Loki and his double watched as she bit the side of her lower lip and her breasts rose and fell with another breath that was heavy with arousal.

“Loki…”

The sound of her breathy, pleading words was more than he could handle.“Are you okay, love?” his double whispered in her ear before he kissed her cheek and remained close to her. Loki watched the comfort appear in her eyes as her head tilted toward the double’s and she rubbed her cheek to the double’s, all while still staring up at him.

“Yes,” she answered.

“Kiss her,” Loki said to his clone, watching Alex’s eyebrow rise at him. He licked his lips as he watched the clone move over her and kiss her gently. At the upside down angle, their lips moved somewhat awkwardly… until the clone moved his hands from holding down her wrists and held her face to guide her, sneakily turning them to the side a bit so Loki could watch.The sight of his Asgardian form and his beloved was arousing. They made a beautiful couple and the adoration between them was so obvious that it made him ache, reminding him of her lusciously wet quim that was still squeezing him tightly.

Enjoying the view, Loki leaned on her as he held her thighs, resuming his slow, deep thrusts inside her as he watched the two of them hungrily kissing before him. Alex’s hands were gripping at the altar, unable to get any purchase on the smooth stone under her fingers. “Play with your tits,” Loki groaned as he thrust into her particularly deep. “Show me what you long for me to do.”

Alex whined softly as the double’s hands withdrew from her face and he guided her hands to her breasts. “Don’t stop…” she whispered, not wanting the kiss to end.

The clone grinned against her mouth. “Then do as I ask, Alexandra…” he said, his lips teasing hers as he squeezed her hands onto her breasts before letting go.

Loki watched as her hands cupped her breasts, the soft flesh more than could fit in her hands. His hips began taking long thrusts again, keeping his motions soft but steady. Her hands moved from the sides of her chest toward the middle, her thumbs running over the top of each breast as her other fingers cupped and pressed from below. He watched as her fingers and thumbs came together, squeezing as she moved toward her nipple. His double was once again cradling her face as they continued kissing. He could taste her on his lips and feel the softness of her face as his thrusts picked up speed. His eyes were focused on her hands, the way they pinched gently, almost massaging as they came to her nipples. She let go and did the motion again, his eyes following along until he couldn’t take it any longer.

The sound of Alex moaning as his double continued devouring her lips spurred him on. Planting one hand near her waist, he brought the other to one breast, pushing hers aside and taking over. Her long legs fell to his waist, surrounding him as his thrusts grew faster and harder. He closed his eyes and sank into the softness that surrounded him. The soft skin of her thighs. The perfection that was the softness of her slick, gorgeous cunt. The voluptuous softness of her breast in his hand. Finally, the softness of her mouth, which he could feel against his own through his double.

He looked at them again and felt a surge of possessiveness. It was him, but it wasn’t _him_. Grabbing his clone by the hair, he dragged him off Alex and moved down to capture her mouth with his own, the double disappearing as her hands moved to his body again. After one last knead of her breast, he moved again, covering her body with his own and feeling her arms wrap around him. He drew his lips from hers only enough to breathe his words against her lips. “You… are… everything,” he said, almost panting the words between the heated kisses that she continued pressing to his mouth, “I have… ever… wanted.”

It was in that moment that Alexandra’s body decided to reach its peak. She cried out against Loki’s mouth, her back arching into him and her legs squeezing him tighter against her as she ground herself into him.

“I love you,” he said against her lips, repeating the words again as he continued moving, wanting to keep the feelings of her orgasm going as long as he could. As he felt her body clenching him inside and her arms wrapping around him and clutching him to her, he lost control and surged as deep as he could, his body practically convulsing into her as he moaned and panted against her lips, releasing inside her again. They rode out the sensations, eyes focused on each other and foreheads pressed together.

It was about an hour later when they finally left the temple. Loki had, of course, returned to his Asgardian form. He’d used his seidr to clothe himself in the most relaxed clothing he would allow himself to appear wearing in public - his leather pants and dark green shirt. In this moment, he wanted Alex to shine. After tending to her sore muscles with a gentle massage and casting his hand anti-leak charm while tidying her up, he placed her in an Asgardian dress and golden sandals.Well, perhaps a bit less modest and slightly more to his own tastes, but still in an Asgardian style. It was light and soft, skimming her form with a gentle, shimmering golden color that left her looking every bit a goddess - _his _goddess.

They stepped out of the temple, Alex happily holding onto his arm as they walked, only to find Thor waiting outside with a couple of his advisors. The group seemed at ease, though their congregating irked Loki, who did not want to be harangued by formality mere moments after solemnizing his betrothal.

“Brother, Alexandra, you seem in good spirits,” Thor said as he stepped closer.He watched as Alex did her best to follow Loki’s lead, but her happiness and excitement were bubbling under the surface. “I didn’t want to interrupt…” he added, getting a blush to arise on her cheeks. He’d wondered where they had gone to, but had run into Stark earlier and learned of their trip to the temple. It was impossible to avoid wondering whether their relationship was taking a new step and this seemed to confirm it.

Loki was going to respond with snark, but then looked over to Alexandra and saw her blushing and smiling. “Brother, allow me to introduce my betrothed… I believe you know her already.” He winked at Alex, who snickered softly and kissed his shoulder.

“Hi, Thor,” she said, accepting the friendly side hug the burly blond man gave her.

“Congratulations, you look lovely,” Thor said as he kissed her cheek. “Brother,” he said as he turned to Loki and drew him into a similar hug, “I’m happy for you.”

“Thank you,” Loki said as he patted Thor’s back before drawing away. “I would like to make an announcement to the kingdom,” he added, looking to Alex, “if that’s acceptable to you, of course, darling.”

Alex sighed happily and turned into him, one hand touching his cheek as the other rested on his chest. She kissed him tenderly, her fingers lingering on his jawline. “Please do,” she answered, watching the soft, boyish smile appear on his face. She continued hugging his side as they both looked back to Thor.

Thor tried to contain his surprise at the sight of Loki happily engaging in physical affections in front of their ministers and in a public space. He’d always been so reserved and stiff in front of anyone other than Thor and Frigga.“Yes, absolutely, you must!” he said with a smile. “This is momentous news. The people will be thrilled to hear it.”

The group walked to the palace through the streets, with various citizens and children greeting them along the way. Loki stopped as the two children from earlier ran up to the group, cheerfully greeting the King and the Prince with their bow and curtsy as they had greeted Loki earlier.

“King Thor, Prince Loki,” they both said as they rose and grinned.

The two royals nodded to them. Thor, of course, then leaned down and hugged them both like the big teddybear Alex knew he was.

“Hello…” little Inara said as she looked at Alexandra.

Alex smiled at her and was about to introduce herself when Loki jumped into the conversation.

“Children, I would like you to meet Alexandra,” he said, kneeling down to speak to them on their own level. He looked up to Alex, then back to them and leaned closer, whispering to them.

Alex looked at him curiously, but soon found out what he’d whispered as they grinned and repeated the bow and curtsy that she knew they’d been practicing. “Lady Alexandra,” they said, just as properly as they had when they’d greeted the men who stood at her sides.

“Darling, these are Inara and Torbin,” Loki said with a grin. This was the first time she was being introduced as his betrothed and he could not have planned a better opportunity to do so.“Thor and I have been assisting their parents with their education. When we have time, Thor helps them train and I tutor them.”

“Hello,” Alex said as she squatted down to them. “What have you learned so far?” she asked, watching their faces light up again.

“King Thor taught us how to ride a pony!” Torbin answered, grinning up at the King.

“Prince Loki taught us how to make our beds using seidr and is helping us learn to read… but we’re not very good at it yet. He writes funny, but Mama helps us read his letters.” Inara said, smiling as Loki chuckled at her response.

“It sounds like you are good students,” Alex said, giving them a smile before standing up. “I’m sure you’ll be reading and writing soon - and when you do, you can write to Prince Loki.”That made the kids grin again.

The group bid the children goodbye and they ran off to meet their parents again. Loki leaned over and kissed Alex’s temple. “They will be spreading the word to everyone who will hear them, Sweetling. We should make the announcement once we arrive at the palace.”

Minutes later, Thor had made the proclamation from the main balcony of the palace that overlooked the large square. He had never been so proud of his younger brother than when Loki had embraced Alex in front of everyone and professed his love by tenderly placing a modest kiss on her lips. New Asgard had been rebuilding and it was clear from the cheering populace that the kingdom was more than happy to have the festivities of a royal binding on the horizon. Thor, being his boisterous self, had ale and the Asgardian equivalent of barbecue prepared in the square for everyone that evening in celebration.


	15. Fragile Tension

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There's a fragile tension  
That's keeping us going  
It may not last forever  
But oh when it's flowing
> 
> \- Depeche Mode "Fragile Tension"

The next month went by quite smoothly, but with quite a few interruptions. Loki had been on a few short missions with some of the others, while Alex had accompanied Tony to Stark Industries’ new California office for a few meetings with the R&D team that had been sent out there to work with a couple specialists from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab.While Alex was in California, Loki had had the opportunity to join her there for a couple days. Although it was a lovely break, it was too short of a time together. When they both arrived in New York the following week, Loki decided that enough was enough.

“Can we—“ he said as he looked over at her, his eyes trying to ignore that she was wearing a dark green pencil skirt, a white silk shirt, and a dark green jacket to match. It was the outfit she’d worn the first time she visited his apartment for dinner.

“No,” she answered as they stood in an elevator in the Tower.

“But what about —“ _Norns, she looks delicious in my colors…_

“Noooope,” she repeated, looking over at him with her arms across her chest. He looked too good in his all-black suit. He always did.

“It’d be easier if—“

“Nuh-uh…” she added, glaring at him.

“But —“

“No.”

“Alexandra….” he said, his tone getting whiny as the elevator ascended, both of them having been summoned to Stark’s office.

“Loki…” she mimicked, looking at him sternly as the elevator came to a stop.

He had hit the stop button, preventing the doors from opening. “Why _not_?” he asked, his hands moving to her hips, wanting to ease her skirt up and sink himself inside her instead of having this ridiculous debate _again_.

“I’m a civilian,” she answered, watching as he almost rolled his eyes.

Loki scoffed, hands stroking her sides. “You are my betrothed,” he said. “You are far from a _mere_ civilian.”

Alex glared at him, her hands moving to rest on his shoulders. “Loki,” she said, her fiery tone catching his attention, “If you don’t back off, I will personally ask Thor to send you on a diplomatic mission to Muspelheim or something!”

He glared at her, his hands grasping her waist. “Alexandra…” he said, stepping even closer to her, “If you don’t agree to move into my residence here, I will move into yours!”

She smacked the button to force the lift to ascend. “You know that you have a big project to handle,” she said as the lift resumed its operations. “Tony has me working with the governmental relations team for some congressional testimony for the next couple of weeks.”

“Are we _not_ to be bound?” he questioned, hitting the stop button again and stalling the lift. He turned back to her and let his hands fall to his sides as he stared at her face. “Sweetling, do not make me beg…”

Alex felt terrible. “I…. I can’t…” she whispered, placing her hands on the rail on either side of her hips as she leaned back against the wall. 

“_Why?_” Loki whispered as he stepped closer to her, his hands next to hers on the rail. His body barely touched hers as his head hung down, his eyes fixed on their feet. Well, more like her gorgeously plump breasts, but he was _trying_ to be serious. “Have I done something _wrong_?” he asked quietly. “Do you not…” he said, unable to get the words out all at once, “Have you…” he added, looking to her face. “Your feelings… have they changed?”

The question gutted Alex. How could she be so terrible as to make him think she didn’t want him?“No, Loki,” she said with a sigh, accepting his presence as he held himself close to her.She wrapped her arms around his waist and hugged him, her hands stroking his lower back. “I love you. The hand fasting is in six months and I am _so _looking forward to going through all the Asgardian rituals with you.”

“But?” he whispered, resting his forehead on her shoulder as his hands held her hips.

“I don’t want to start our life together _here_,” she said, pecking his cheek. “The Tower is like a luxury version of military barracks. Everybody’s here and ready to be at Tony’s beck and call. I thought we’d wait until after the hand fasting, then we could live at my place until we find something better for us both.”

“Why must we wait?” he asked quietly. “I could move into your home right now and we could be together.”

“Loki, please?” she said with a sigh as she felt him step away from her.

“Why are you so adamant about remaining apart from me!?!” he almost shouted after turning away from her and taking a step in contemplation. Her refusal felt like rejection, which was made all the more difficult after she’d accepted his proposal and started their bonding. He was drawn to her constantly, always wondering what she was doing, feeling concerned for her welfare and, frankly, aching to be with her physically.

Alex answered, tears in her eyes as she turned to look out at the city from the glass wall of the elevator. “You know why.”

“My love, what can I do to convince you that you are safe with me and that I will not force you to sacrifice yourself?” Loki moved behind her and cautiously pressed his front to her back.

“You can let me live on my own for now and you can stay here with the others at the Tower. Just until the hand fasting.”

“Then I cannot wait six whole months, Sweetling. I need you.” Loki wrapped his arms around her, one slung low to rest a hand on her body and the other pressing his other hand to her heart, hugging her to him. “Alexandra…”

“Please don’t seduce me right now,” she whispered, knowing how easily he could when he wanted to. His hands felt so comforting and so, so good as they smoothed over her. She leaned back against him and let her head rest against him.“I feel so exhausted. I’m sorry, Tony has been running me ragged lately.”

Loki tried to breathe, but it felt like the oxygen had been sucked from the room.He looked at their reflection in the glass. Despite her complaints, Alex looked so peaceful, so _right_ against him. Although he felt like Mjolnir was resting on his chest at the moment, wrapping his arms around her seemed like the most natural thing he could do. He closed his eyes, lowered his lips to where her neck and shoulder joined, and nuzzled against her.

“What are you doing?” Alex asked as she felt his hand smooth over her a couple more times. When he didn’t reply, she wriggled in his arms enough to look at him as his head lifted from her neck. She waved her hand in front of his face. “Earth to Loki… What is it?”

He reached over to the panel and hit the button to allow the lift to rise to their floor, finally. “Alexandra, would you indulge me?” he asked, his arms wrapped around her again.

“Of course. I’m sorry, I know I’m not myself right now —“ she said as the doors opened.

“Come with me,” he interjected, releasing her before taking hold of her hand. He swiftly exited the lift and walked them to his apartment, the door opening automatically as he approached.

“Is there something wrong?” she asked as he pulled her along. She was tall, but even her legs weren’t keeping pace with him. A moment later, he led her into the apartment, the door closing behind them.The look in his eyes was easily the most alarming she’d seen from him, drawing her attention as he lifted her so she was sitting on the edge of the kitchen countertop. “Loki, what is it?”

He stared at her from a few feet away, unable to avoid glancing down toward her lap. His mind was racing. Absentmindedly, he ran his hands through his hair before letting them fall on the outsides of her thighs.

Alex hadn’t seen him quite so unsettled before. “Would you please say something?” she asked, watching him as he stood in front of her, staring at her lap. “It’s not like you to get so… Do I have cancer or something? You’re starting to scare me.”

He shifted his hand to rest on her body, pressing it against her lower abdomen. “No, Sweetling, you are perfectly healthy,” he answered, looking up at her face. “Absolutely perfect.”

She watched a nervous half-smile briefly appear on his face before he ran a hand through his hair _again. _“Then what is it?” she asked, reaching out to pull him closer by the front of his shirt. “I can tell there’s something you’re worried about.”

Loki stood between her legs and kissed her forehead, letting his lips linger there for a moment. “I was trying to remember the last time I made a miscalculation with my seidr and I can’t recall it.” He felt Alex’s forehead move and knew she was making that little face she always made when she was questioning something.

The only thing she could deduce was that he’d had a recent issue. “What happened?” she asked, pulling back enough to look at him.

He slipped his arms around her and hugged her again, breathing in the scent of her perfume as it lingered in her hair. When he felt her hands nervously rest on his biceps, he nuzzled his nose against hers and kissed her lips ever so softly. “An innocent miscalculation on my part.”

She felt his hands slide to her hips, his thumbs smoothing over her as he faced her again. “What?”

“You are with child, Alexandra.”

“Come again?” she asked, not expecting to hear those words. She felt Loki’s hand move over her middle and exchanged stares with him, seeing the glimmer of happy mischievousness in his eyes.

Loki tucked an errant wave of her hair behind her ear and stroked her cheek. “Sweetling, you are carrying my child. I can feel a tiny little flicker of seidr _inside _you." The blush of her cheek seemed brighter. Her skin felt softer. Everything felt more alive. 

“Loki, you’ve been using spells…” she said, trying to make sense of the news.

“Yes, I have been,” he replied, knowing that she would follow all logical paths. “I _always_ have. Every time. I always took care of you, just as I swore I would.”

Her head tilted as she looked at his face, her mind still processing his words. “Even Thor said that you are one of the most powerful sorcerers in all the realms… I don’t understand… How?”

“As I said, it was a fortuitous miscalculation.” Loki could feel a faint blush in his cheeks.

“You’re saying your seidr was off?” she asked, stunned that he was apparently admitting that it had been.

He nodded once and pulled her hands into his, resting them on her lap. “I did not know that my Jotun form would impact the spell,” he explained, feeling the heat rising in his cheeks again. “Before you, I had never…”

“Yes?” she prodded. “You never what?”

After a slight roll of his eyes at himself and an awkward tilt of his head from one side to the other, Alex’s hands squeezing his finally drew him out of his embarrassment. “I had no way of knowing that I would need to adjust anything because I had never made love in that form. Okay? I hadn’t felt comfortable enough with even the _idea_ of it, so I never looked into that issue and I assumed that no change would be needed and I wasn’t thinking of that at the time and—“

“Oh, Loki,” Alex said quietly, resting her forehead on his chest. "Loki... Loki..."

Then, he felt her begin to shake, as if she had started sobbing. Fear and sadness and self-loathing were starting to poke out of the dark recesses of his mind, a sense of worry overwhelming him at the thought that she was unhappy with his news. After their last conversation about her desires for her life, he thought that she was interested in taking this step with him - granted, they had thought it would be sometime in the future - but he thought they were both on the same page about that. He worried that he had misunderstood her or had simply heard what he wanted to hear. Either she had decided that she didn’t want to be with him at all or she had decided that he was unsuitable as a mate. That she would not want _his _child. Just as the pain and rejection began to burn in his stomach, he heard her giggle.

“Love, say something…” he whispered nervously, his fingers moving to her chin to urge her to look at him.

“I bet your 1500-odd years of dreams and hints from your mom about me didn’t include that, did they?” she said as she looked up at him and giggled again, taking in the sweet look of vulnerability on his face. “All the tension and drama… all the powers and spells… all the thinking of momentous circumstances and _strenuous_ _efforts_ that would be required… and this is how it actually happens.”

His heart felt like it leapt in his chest at her words and the beaming smile that she had for him. Her laughter was infectious. He cupped her cheeks, looking into her eyes as they seemed to gleam like silver. _Norns, this woman…_

“Oops?” he said, shrugging his shoulders to give her joke full effect. The way she laughed harder and wrapped him tightly in her arms sent so many more feelings rushing through him, but this time they were all positive - love, elation, gratefulness, and hope.His arms slipped around her and he held her there, pressed against him, the emotions running through him soon growing and changing as a greater sense of loyalty and protectiveness also settled in. “Mother always had an amusing sense of humor. I am sure she thoroughly enjoyed knowing that the only mistake in my spell crafting in centuries would lead to fatherhood.”

“I love you,” Alex said, admiring the way that his eyes seemed lighter and his mood became brighter.

Loki let the words sink in as he kissed her softly, his lips exploring hers almost reverently before he pulled away and peacefully sighed. “Enough to move in with me?” he said with a smirk on his face.

“Always using things to your advantage…” Alex nodded her head and laughed softly as she ran her fingers through his hair. “We’ll need to press Tony on space and respecting boundaries, but yes.”

“Mm… I do love your ability to bend Stark to your will,” he said with a grin as his hands gently ran up and down her sides, “and I love you, Alexandra. Promise me that you are truly happy, that you are not pretending on my behalf.”

“I promise, Loki. As you said, it was a _very fortuitous _miscalculation. I didn’t know if this would _ever_ happen... but here we are.” She kissed him again, this time taking charge and slipping her tongue against his.

He pulled open the button on her jacket and pulled it off of her, flinging it to the floor. Her handshad already moved to unzip his trousers as he unbuttoned her blouse. He felt her hand wrap around his length and growled softly against her lips, his hands moving to shove her skirt up and pull her closer. “No panties… you vixen…” he said between kisses, his fingers briefly sliding through the wetness that had quickly gathered between her legs.

“Oh… Loki…” she moaned softly as he slid inside her. Her hands clawed at his jacket until they’d wrestled it off of him. It was just as Loki was taking another long thrust that the intercom went off inside the apartment.

“Lokes, you there? Need you for a mission, buddy,” Tony said, his voice ringing through the room as if he was standing next to them. “Kinda urgent. Thor will be here in two minutes. Meet us at the jet.”

Loki had heard him, but hadn’t stopped what he was doing. He was now thrusting into Alex, his body never stopping its motions as she finally gave in and moaned.

“Ohh…” Stark said, an obvious grin to his voice. “Princess Peach!”

“Shut up! Oh… fuck… ShutUpTony!” she said, her voice taking on an urgency as the pitch shifted higher. Loki smirked and angled himself just right, causing her to moan again. “LOKI!”

“Fine, _three _minutes,” Stark said, ending the chat.

Two minutes and fifty seconds later, Alex was spread out over the kitchen countertop with her legs still wrapped around Loki’s waist as they caught their breath. She opened her eyes and looked at him, smiling as his long fingers slid down her body until his hand rested on her lower abdomen again and she covered it with her own. “We’ll be here when you get back,” she said as he helped her sit up before they tidied themselves.

“_We_,” he said with a happy sigh. “Sweetling…”

Alex kissed his lips tenderly as they embraced. “Come home safely,” she whispered, feeling the way his hand smoothed over her one last time.

Nine seconds later, Loki stepped onto the jet with a good mood that did not go unnoticed by the others. He took a seat next to Thor and ignored Stark’s rather juvenile lewd gestures from his seat next to Natasha in the cockpit. “Tell me what needs to be done…” he said as the last of the group boarded behind him and the jet went through its final pre-flight procedures. Somehow, everything felt different this time. He held back the smile that might’ve revealed the secret to the others, but knew that it was also likely on Alex’s face as she remained in his apartment to shower before going to her office.


	16. 'Tis All For Naught?

“FRIDAY, get Alex up here and contact Thor in New Asgard to send healers immediately. Loki’s been injured,” Tony said as he and Steve carried the shockingly heavy prince off the jet on a field gurney with Nat following shortly after she finished the post-landing procedures.

“Loki? Still with us?” Steve asked as they found a spot on the floor of the penthouse and set him down. He snapped his fingers near Loki’s head, which at least caused the man to open his eyes.

Loki saw a blurry, scruffy-looking man next to him. He blinked a few more times, not getting anything to come into focus, and then closed his eyes again. He wanted to speak, to tell them to bring Alex to him so he could tell her he loved her and to feel her presence and that of the tiny life she carried once more. A flash of anger surged through him as he thought of how, after everything he’d been through, he was about to lose the woman he loved and a child he would never know.

“He’s lost quite a bit of blood, I think…” Tony remarked as he began figuring out how to get Loki’s armor off.

“Stay calm,” Steve said, seeing the signs of anger on Loki’s face. “Don’t waste your energy on that.” He helped Tony strip off Loki’s armor. “Alex will be here in a minute. Think about her instead.”

Meanwhile, Alex was in the elevator on her way up to the penthouse. “FRIDAY, is Thor coming?” she asked, needing to think of anything other than what Loki’s condition might be when she arrived.

“Yes, Alexandra. Thor Odinson should arrive through the Bifrost any second.”

_Could the elevator take any longer, _she wondered, her hands wrapped around the bar on either side of her hips. She looked down to her abdomen. _He’s not going to die, he’s not going to die, he’s not going to die._ Finally, the doors opened and she rushed out, only to find that Bruce, Tony, and Steve were on the floor tending to what appeared to be an unconscious, bloodied Loki.

“Alex…” Natasha said, catching her attention. “He was saving some civilians when he was blindsided by some invisible _thing_ that somehow tore open a pretty big gash on his side.”

She tried to push past Nat, but wasn’t able to get very far.

“You _don’t_ want to do that…” Nat said, grabbing her arm and putting another around her body to hold her in place.

“This can’t happen… it can’t…” she said a few times before she felt tears in her eyes.

“Shh, don’t start jumping to conclusions,” Nat replied. “I’m sure that the two of you will be having that wedding you’ve planned and he’ll be his usual smart-ass self, too pretty for his own good in his blinged out armor. It’s just going to take a little time.”

A moment later, Thor arrived with Eir and a couple others through the Bifrost. They didn’t even take time to acknowledge anyone before rushing to Loki and starting their work.

“I’m gonna be sick,” Alex said before breaking away from Nat and running over to a nearby planter. She promptly emptied her stomach contents all over the potted palm tree.

“Alex…” she heard from behind her. It was Tony.She cleaned herself up and then was pulled into a hug, her tears finally catching up with her.

“Tony, he’s not supposed to die _now_!” she cried as her best friend held her.

“I know.” Tony rubbed her back with one hand as he looked over her shoulder to see if he could see anything in the other room. “Thor and the healers are in there. They’ll figure it out. He’s not going to die. You’ll be having the wedding just like you planned. I’m even paying for it! He wouldn’t die before seeing that happen.”

“Tony,” she whispered, afraid to say it out loud. “We just found out - I’m pregnant.”

Stark pulled back and looked at her. “Then I _know _that he isn’t going to be going anywhere. It’ll be okay. It’s gonna be fine.” Alex accepted another hug and buried her face against him as she cried softly.He did his best not to look shocked by her news or terrified for her. He knew what it took to really harm Thor or Loki. Even though he hadn’t seen it happen, he knew that whatever it was had to have been incredibly powerful and Loki had to be in a precarious situation.

“Alexandra, we are taking Loki to the healing ward at the palace,” Thor said as he stepped closer, the healers’ seidr carrying Loki on what appeared to be a portable soul forge. “Please, come with me, he would want you there.”

“Go on, I’ll hold down the fort,” Stark said, patting her back softly. “Take care of him.”

She wiped away her tears with her fingers, then accepted Thor’s arm. “Is it safe to use the Bifrost-“ she said, stopping herself and looking up at his face.

“The baby will be fine,” Thor said quietly.He pulled her into a hug before they were transported behind Loki and the healers.

“My King,” Heimdall said before pausing as he watched Alex suddenly vomit on Thor. “Lady Alexandra…”

“It’s okay… don’t worry…” Thor said to her as he patted her back.

“The healers took Prince Loki to the ward immediately,” Heimdall said, silently questioning Thor about the woman before them. Even Jane hadn’t gotten _that_ sick from the Bifrost.

Thor was able to mouth a few words as he tried to motion toward Alex’s middle, explaining that Alex was pregnant.

Heimdall held back a smile and merely nodded. “I will transport you directly to the ward, Sire.”

“Thank you.” Thor winced as they landed in the healing ward and Alex got sick on him again. “I understand that motion is something that can ail many Midgardians.”

“Hm? Oh, yes… right, motion sickness…” Alex said, frowning at the mess she’d made on _the King of Asgard_. “Sorry about that…”

“Nothing to worry over,” Thor said as one of the healers joined them and they were both tidied up with seidr. It’d been a long time since that’d happened… back when he and the Warriors Three would have nightly revels. Life had certainly changed.

“Sire, Prince Loki is presently being tended to by Eir,” the youngest said, clearly an apprentice.“Lady Alexandra, are you unwell?” Her eyes went wide as she touched Alex’s shoulder, her seidr feeling Alex’s secret quite easily. 

“I’m fine. Doctor Thor said it’s just motion sickness,” Alex answered, getting a sympathetic look from Thor.

“Come this way, I have just the thing…” the healer said with a soft smile, leading her to an adjoining room.

Thor went toward the back of the ward, spotting Eir as she exited the treatment room. “How is he?” he asked, watching as she used her seidr to tidy up her own bloodied appearance.

“I cannot say one way or the other. It seems we’ve stopped the bleeding. However, he is weak and appears to be hallucinating,” Eir said with a worried sigh.

“What do you mean?” Thor asked, following her back into the treatment room.

Eir gestured toward Loki, who was on a soul forge and surrounded by healing wards in Eir’s wispy pink seidr.His eyes were closed and his appeared to be in pain. More troubling were the random words coming from his lips. “I believe he has suffered a head injury, my King. He continues to talk about a child.”

Thor stepped closer to Loki’s side. “Lady Alexandra is newly with child.” 

Upon hearing the words, Loki’s eyes jolted open. “Thor…” he said, his voice weak.

“I am here,” he said, grasping his brother’s hand. “Stay still, Loki.” Loki’s grip was surprisingly strong considering his condition. Thor knelt down to be at eye level.

“If I die…” Loki whispered, his eyes focused on his brother in as stern of a glare as he could manage. “Alex…”

Thor nodded. “I know, Loki. I would take care of Alex and the child.”

“Good queen…” he added before stopping to rest.

Unfortunately for Loki, his words were heard by Alex as she walked into the room. “Don’t even _think_ about pawning me off on your brother…” she said as she moved to his side, taking Thor’s place. “You’re not going anywhere, Rock of Ages."

Though Loki wasn’t able to take a deep enough breath to laugh at the moment, her tone and her use of one of Stark’s nicknames made him smile. He knew that she was emotional under the surface, but that this was her way of managing herself in this crisis. She tried to act as if everything was okay, even making a joke to try to lighten the mood. He was disappointed that he was too weak to reach out with his seidr to feel the presence he had been looking forward to coming home to after the mission.

Alex placed her hand on his as it rested on the bed, gently running her fingers over his skin. “You need to rest.”

“Thor…”

“Yes?” he said, joining Alex at the side of the bed again.

“Bind us,” he said, his eyes meeting Alex’s.

This was not the way any of them had pictured this happening. Thor looked to Alex. “Alexandra, Loki has a point. I became King, Loki became Crown Prince, and we had no other family… until now.” He gestured to her and her abdomen.

Alex did her best not to turn into a puddle of tears as she realized what they were saying. If Loki died, then the baby - that they _just _found out about - would take his place as Thor’s heir apparent _if they were bound_. Loki was trying to look out for the child, for Alex, for Thor, and for New Asgard. “Yes.” She hoped that the faint sparkles that appeared in his eyes would not be the last she’d see.

“May I borrow that?” Thor said, gesturing to the green and black plaid silk scarf she was wearing with her skirt suit and white blouse.

She removed it and gave it to Thor, who immediately wrapped it around her wrist and Loki’s, binding them together. Even though Loki looked weak and frail, the way he laced his fingers with hers felt as if nothing bad had happened.

Thor, having had a surprise rush of binding ceremonies after his installation as Allfather, was able to perform the rite from memory. Eir and one of the other healers witnessed the event, both of them struggling not to cry at the tenderness of the moment.After Thor’s blessing, Alex leaned down and kissed Loki. Although she tried to keep it brief, it was clear that Loki had gathered what energy he had and put it into the kiss, filling it with everything he couldn’t say and all the hopes he had for them. Alex rested her forehead against his afterward, keeping her eyes closed to avoid crying.

“If I could, I’d have you in my arms tonight,” he whispered to her.

Alex drew back a bit, thinking. Although she knew he was referring to more amorous activities that would be impossible at the moment, she wanted to be with him. “Eir?” she said, standing up and looking over to her.

“Yes…” she started, pausing when she realized it was no longer _Lady _Alexandra. Loki’s insistent eyes and Thor’s slight grin certainly helped. “Yes, Princess?”

She felt Loki gently squeeze her hand, silently conveying his pride in hearing that she was now _his _Princess. Her heart swelled as she realized it and brought his hand to rest on her body again, expressing her own happiness that she was carrying his child. Focusing on Eir again, she made her request. “Would it be possible to stay in the ward tonight? I know that a _traditional _wedding night isn’t possible, but I want to be here with him.”

“No sleeping in chairs.” Loki’s voice was rather stern, considering his condition.

Alex looked down at him, tilting her head slightly. “I’m not a delicate flower, Loki.”

His hand stroked her belly again. “No.” His voice was wavering this time, more pleading rather than demanding.

She reached over to him with her free hand, stroking his cheek. “Yes.” She could see Eir’s stunned look in the corner of her vision.“Is there a way to stay with him, Eir?”

Eir looked around the ward for a moment, wondering whether she should encourage Alexandra to go against the Prince’s wishes. “I believe we can find a more suitable, comfortable, solution,” she said with a nod as she saw the way the Prince appeared much more peaceful when in contact with his new bride.

“Thank you,” Alex said before turning back to Loki, who looked up at her with eyes that were filled with love and all the wonderful things that were swirling between them at the moment. She knew that he wanted to do the right thing and ensure that she would have restful sleep in a comfortable bed, but that he actually did quite desperately want her to stay.

“I will stay with him for now,” Thor said, taking a seat next to the bed. “Why don’t you go get more comfortable? When you return, I’m sure that the arrangements will have been made.”

“I’ll be back soon,” she whispered, leaning down to kiss Loki again. This one was soft and tender, filled with affection and appreciation. “I love you.”

“I love you, both,” Loki whispered before letting Alex rush off into the palace.


	17. The Visitor

Alex was directed to Loki’s chambers and made the trek through the palace as quickly as she could, still picking up the faint scent of vomit that must have survived the healer’s quick tidying up when she and Thor had arrived. She was thankful that the healer that had checked her out gave her some mouthwash along with something to prevent nausea. Her mind replayed the last few minutes, the urgency in his voice as he thought only of her future and that of his child. She opened the doors to his chambers and went into the bathroom, quickly stripping off her clothes and casting them aside as she walked toward the shower.

Passing by a large mirror, she took a brief moment to look at herself. _Just a little bloated, _she thought as she checked over her middle, then let her hands cup her breasts. They’d been tender for a couple of weeks, but she had thought that it was from the very generous amounts of attention that Loki had been paying them anytime they were together lately. Clearly, he’d recognized something, even if he hadn’t necessarily known what it was the entire time. The thought of all the intimate moments they’d shared brought tears to her eyes. As she stepped into the shower, she allowed herself to cry. In the last day, Loki had discovered they were expecting a child, they’d agreed to move in together, they were looking forward to a proper binding ceremony with all the pomp she knew he actually _did _enjoy and want, they made love on the kitchen countertop…_and now he’s injured and might die, while I’m apparently a princess and you, _she thought as she looked down, _might never even know your father. _She felt like a wreck, but by the time her body was clean, she had managed to get a grip on her emotions again.

She dried herself off and ventured into Loki’s closet to find something to wear. Expecting to find the Asgardian version of sweatpants and a t-shirt, she instead found that he’d set aside a portion of the closet for her things already - and had apparently had some items made for her.She wasn’t exactly sure what the protocol was for wandering the halls of the palace in your sleepwear, but of all the times to not care about protocol, this was probably the most justified. She smiled at the nightgown and robe that hung before her. Soft, dark green silk draped almost to the floor and skimmed over her body after she put it on. It wasn’t overtly sexy lingerie, but something beautiful and regal. She put on the matching robe, making sure to close it well to minimize anyone’s view, and tied the sash. Dainty matching satin slippers went onto her feet before she quickly made her trip back to the healing ward.

“Alexandra…” Thor said as she approached the doors to the ward. He rose from his seat and placed his hands on her upper arms.

“No… don’t say it…” she said, hearing the tone in his voice that was absolutely associated with bad news. “Don’t you fucking say it, Thor…” she stared up at her new brother-in-law and saw the worry on his face.

“Moments after you left, he became unconscious again,” he explained. “They have been tending to him. We have also sent an envoy to Jotunheim to return with one of their healers. I promise, everything that can be done will be done. You will not lose him,” he said, hearing his voice getting choked with emotion. He had lived this nightmare before, back when he had tried to stop him from falling from the Bifrost.However, back then Loki had let go. This time was different - Loki had much to live for. He hugged Alex, probably more for his own comfort than hers at the moment, and could sense the spark inside her. “We will not lose him.”

Alex was escorted into the ward by Thor, his careful hand resting on her back as they walked toward the room where Loki had been earlier. “Oh, Loki…” she said softly, seeing that he was now in his Jotun form. He wouldn’t have wanted to be so exposed to others, not like this. Just as she was about to go to him, Thor pulled her back and kept her out of the way of the Jotun healer that had just entered the room.

“I am Ymyr, Royal Healer of Jotunheim,” the very tall, sky blue woman said. “I was present at the Prince’s birth. Rest assured, today is not the day he dies. Not if I have any say in it.”

Alex watched as Ymyr and Eir quickly talked and worked. Ymyr’s magic was so different from Eir’s pink swirling seidr. It was icy, like Jotunheim itself. The woman’s determination made Alex feel slightly less terrified. It was another half of an hour later, after watching the healers and looking at Loki’s motionless form, that the situation finally seemed to catch up with her.

“I need to sit down,” Alex said, exhaustion and emotions hitting her quite hard. She felt faint.

“Yes, of course, this way,” Thor said, directing her to a nearby bench and taking a seat next to her. “Loki will beat this, Alex.”

Her head spun for a moment after she sat down. Thor’s arm wrapped around her, the inviting and protective weight of it guiding her to rest her head against him. They watched for a few long moments, but soon realized that the healers would be weaving spells for some time. She closed her eyes and accepted his comfort. “They won’t let me near him… Wake me up if anything happens, even the littlest thing. I can’t do anything to help and I can barely see straight… Loki wouldn’t be happy knowing I sat up crying and exhausting myself more in this condition.”

“I will gladly be your pillow and watch over you both until the healers give word.” Thor said quietly, shifting himself so that she could get more comfortable. He welcomed her into his arms and helped her adjust until she was able to rest.

“You’re a big teddy bear, Thor,” she said quietly as she accepted his comfort. “Thank you.”

“Sleep.”

Times like these were something that Thor hated. The only thing close to healing ability he had were the powers related to fertility he’d inherited from Frigga, which weren’t exactly helpful to Loki right now. The healers had little need for lightning and thunder, either. It was his _brother _in the ward. He should be able to do _something_, yet he was utterly useless beyond comforting Loki’s wife. He looked down at the woman, admiring her and the strength she exuded. If that was all he could do to help Loki, then he would do it to the best of his ability. She carried the future of Asgard and he, even as King, was bound by his duty.

Alex quickly fell asleep against him and Thor let his mind wander as his hand protectively rested on her belly. _Loki _was going to be a _father_. Had there ever been a wager over which of them would be bound and a father first, betting on Loki for both would have likely paid a fortune. He smiled at the thought. Loki would’ve probably found a way to trick everyone… somehow. Though Thor was always able to grasp a part of Loki’s plans as well as whatever Loki actually told him beforehand, he had to admit that he never saw their full brilliance until Loki revealed it to everyone. Alex, however, had been no surprise. Thor had seen Loki’s love for her - and possibly hers for him - before either of them had realized it.

Meanwhile, Eir and Ymyr stabilized Loki and Ymyr tuned the soul forge to better suit Loki’s specific needs. It had been a hard fought battle, but they had succeeded. Her seidr exhausted, Eir retired to nearby sleeping quarters, leaving the other healers to watch over the prince.

Thor had eventually nodded off, but his light sleep was interrupted by Alex’s erratic movements against him. Her face was in a grimace and she practically clung to him as she shivered and slightly thrashed from side to side. “Alexandra, wake up…” he said softly, sitting up and holding onto her.She was clearly having a nightmare. “Alex, sister, wake up…”

Alex felt nudging and a slight shaking and opened her eyes, blinking a few times until she could see properly. She realized she was cozied up to Thor and sat up quickly. Too quickly. A moment later, she leaned forward and got sick on the floor.

“It’s okay… it’s all okay…” Thor said, his inherent abilities kicking in. He rubbed her back with one hand and held her hair with the other, willing her nausea to go away. It seemed that her more fragile biology was struggling with the many changes it was undergoing at the moment. He felt her heave once more before she calmed down. The junior healer who’d tended to her the day before soon rushed over and escorted her back to another room while someone else came to clean up the floor.

“Thank you,” Thor said as he patted their back before getting up and walking toward the soul forge. Loki was still unconscious or asleep, but his appearance had changed slightly. He seemed to be somewhere between forms now, his skin a lighter blue than it had been the night before and many of his markings appearing less pronounced.

“Has he been happy in Asgard?”

The voice pulled Thor out of his thoughts and he glanced to his side to find Ymyr standing there, joining in the vigil.

“He has had a few more difficult years in recent times, but we shared many good ones before that,” Thor explained, hearing the Jotun healer hum in response.“His future will be much brighter… a wife, a child…”

“The Midgardian?”

“Aye,” Thor said, turning to look at the willowy woman. “Though her name is Alexandra and she is now Princess of Asgard… and Jotunheim. If you care for my brother, then you should also care to acknowledge her as more than her home realm. She means everything to him… everything.” 

“Indeed…” Ymyr said quietly. “Where is the child?”

“On the way - they learned of it only yesterday morning.”

“It has been nearly two millennia since the last known pairing of a Jotun and a Midgardian.”

Thor watched her again, seeing a softness come over her face. “Since meeting Alexandra, Loki has searched for information on the topic and could find none.”

“The library of Jotunheim kept records, but Laufey ordered them destroyed during the war. He did not wish for Odin to learn of any weakness in his house.”

Thor thought for a moment. “You mean, _Laufey_ paired with a Midgardian?” he asked quietly.

“He did,” Ymyr replied as she took a step away from the soul forge. “My mother.”

Out of politeness, Thor kept his jaw closed. However, the healer’s words stunned him. He followed her to a couch on the other side of the room and sat down, piecing together everything she’d said. “You are Loki’s sister…”

“_Half_-sister, yes. I was the eldest of Laufey’s children, but the throne passes through the male line and only to the fully royal. I was able to use my talents to become a healer.”

Thor watched the hint of a smile appear on her face.“You placed him in the temple to be found, did you not?”

She smiled, though with a hint of sorrow. “I did. I knew what would happen to him otherwise and he was so small, yet so powerful. I felt his seidr and, even then, knew it was far stronger than anything I would ever be capable of conjuring. I could not allow anyone to harm him, so I placed him in the temple because I had seen Odin’s guards use a portal hidden there one night before.”

Thor ran his hands over his face before sitting back. “How did you know Odin would not kill him? He was a defenseless babe, his death would have been instantaneous had Odin willed it.”

Ymyr glanced over to Thor. “The Allfather spared my life the night before when I had been at the temple seeking guidance - on this very issue, no less. No hand was laid upon me, though he could have easily thrown me to his guards. It was then I knew what was required of me. The next night, I placed Loki in the exact spot where I’d been found, placed a spell of protection around him, and prayed that he would be spared. It was well known that Odin’s queen, Frigga, was wise and merciful, and I had learned that they had a son not much older than Loki. I take it that you are that son?”

Thor nodded silently as her words sank in. Loki had not been left to die, but had been left by his sister to be saved. “He has been loved here. Mother adored him. Father held him to higher standards than even I had to meet, but knew of his potential and did love him… It was simply not in his manner to say how much Loki meant to him,” he said, looking over to the man in the soul forge. “I could have no better brother than Loki.”

“Then I am glad that he has been blessed with this home and this life. Will you tell him of this?”

Thor snorted. “I have learned that keeping secrets from Loki is not an option. Beyond merely lacking that skill myself, I have seen the difficulty that comes when Loki inevitably discovers he has been lied to. His dark years arose from Odin’s failure to tell him of his heritage.”

“I can imagine that would have been quite horrifying to discover, being the child of the monstrous enemy.”

Thor winced. Ymyr sounded exactly like Loki had for many years. “It took a great deal, but Loki has found _himself _and is at peace now.”

“I knew that it would take someone with the might of Odin and the kindness and insight of Frigga to look out for my little brother…”

Thor could hear the tears bubbling up in her voice and, slightly unsure of what would be acceptable, opted to pull Ymyr’s hand into his. “Thank you… for sharing him. He is my brother and—“

It was then that Alex walked out of the other room and spotted the two of them. “Is everything okay?” she asked, a flash of worry hitting her at the way they seemed to have been having a somber conversation. Thor and Ymyr appeared to drop each other’s hands as Alex walked over, which seemed rather odd.

The two of them stood up from their seats, Thor immediately leading Alex over to Loki’s side as he cleared his throat. “Yes, of course. We had merely started discussing Loki and then you and the child came up and I had asked Ymyr if she knew of any Jotun-Human pairings and… time simply escaped us.” He could feel Alex’s skeptical stare and watched as one of her eyebrows raised questioningly. She could do that almost as well as Loki could. “Ymyr, why don’t you update Alexandra on Loki’s status while I tend to some urgent matters… elsewhere.”

Alex didn’t have the opportunity to continue the discussion, as Thor gave a polite, courtly bow and rushed for the door. “Yeah… that wasn’t suspicious at all…” she muttered, hearing Ymyr chuckle in response. “Did I interrupt something else?” she asked the other woman.

“Oh, we have a bit to talk about, _Sister_,” Ymyr said with a kind smile as she and Alex stood at Loki’s bedside, clutching hands as she explained the revelations she had made to Thor moments earlier.


	18. I'm Still Alive?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Days later, Loki awakens and learns of new developments.

It was actually two mornings later when Loki woke to find himself playing ‘little spoon’ to Alex, who was resting behind him with her arm wrapped around his body and her hand placed over his heart. _Norns, I’m alive_, he thought as he lifted her fingers to his lips and pressed a kiss to her knuckles.

“Good morning,” Alex said, pressing her body against him just a little more, “Husband.” She nuzzled against his neck and held him, listening for the smile she knew would appear on his face at the word.

It hadn’t been an easy couple of days. After the initial episode of him losing consciousness, it had occurred twice more the following day, before Ymyr and Eir were able to fully stabilize him. Alex had, on more than one occasion, been told to say her last goodbyes. However, after the healers finally concluded that they had made significant progress in healing him and he was no longer at risk of losing his life, Alex had insisted on staying with him. At first, she sat at his side, resting her head on the bed next to his and holding on to his hand. After realizing that he had been right and that it wasn’t a very good position to stay in, she moved into the slightly larger bed they’d found for him and pulled him into her arms. Eir had initially scolded her for disturbing his rest, but Alex persisted and Loki unconsciously snuggled against her and rested his head on her chest. Eir soon relented, having watched the last hints of his Jotun appearance fade shortly thereafter as he took on his usual form. Ymyr briefly appeared before leaving with Eir, the knowing hint of a smirk on her face looking so much like some of Loki’s expressions.

Sleep had taken some time to come that night. Alex’s thoughts had drifted to the child and her discussions with Ymyr and Thor. There was so much for him to learn when he woke up. She quietly whispered words of encouragement and hopes for the future to him, stroking his hair and kissing his forehead every now and then. After her weariness took over and she finally dozed off, she remained asleep until the early morning, when she awoke abruptly. Her stomach grumbled and suddenly caused her to rush to the restroom, feeling ill. She took a moment to sob after she finished heaving, wishing that her first “official” morning sickness hadn’t come while Loki was in such a state. If they were back in the Tower, he probably would’ve heard her retching and come in to hold her hair or rub her back or just to be there with her. Instead, he was still unconscious. Allowing herself a moment or two to let out her emotions, she then cleaned herself up and went back into the healing ward.

She had then made her way back to the bed and found Loki curled up with his head on her pillow, having rolled over to where she had been resting moments before. As she slipped into the bed on the side where he’d been earlier, she wrapped her arm around him, holding him close. His fingers threaded with hers and he relaxed back against her, unknowingly inviting her to snuggle him more. _He’ll make it through this…_

It was in that same position that Loki now awoke, feeling her holding him as if she was all that tethered him to this life. Her breath tickled his ear as she whispered good morning to him. _Husband… _He thought for a moment about the Midgardian term and remembered that Thor had performed the ritual nights before. She’d agreed to be bound with him even though it was unclear whether he’d survive. The thought made his heart flutter with emotion.

“Wife…” he replied, squeezing her hand. “Alexandra”

“How do you feel?” she asked, moving onto her back to give him space to move if he desired.

“Like Thor used me as a target for practicing with Mjolnir…”

“You’re here, that’s what matters.”

He managed to turn to face her and then lifted himself up until he was above her, recalling the flashes of moments from the days before and what had happened. “I heard you in the night, all those things you said…” he replied. “Of course I’m here, Sweetling. I couldn’t leave you.” He pressed his forehead to hers and breathed in her scent.

Alex sat up suddenly, Loki moving with her, as her stomach rolled again.

“Are you well?” Loki asked softly, touching her back as she sat next to him.

“Mmhm,” she hummed, doing her best to breathe slowly and steadily. “Uhh-unh…” The bile began to rise and she rose from the bed. “Nope!” she said before nearly sprinting out of the room.

Loki managed to get himself up from the bed, relieved that the healers had placed his own clothing on him instead of the standard-issue garb of the ward. He felt weak, weaker than he could ever remember feeling since his coming of age (admitting that perhaps he had been comparatively weak as a child at times), but an inner strength rose within him and he slowly walked toward the bathroom, finding Alex on her knees retching.

“Oh, my love,” he said softly, getting on his knees behind her so he could hold her hair. Never would he have dreamt that such an act would be so life-affirming, but these physical signs of their growing child brought a smile to his face and a purpose to his being. However, he did feel slightly guilty for the illness he’d imposed on Alex.

Alex’s stomach contents seemed to have all come out, yet she was still gagging.“Make it stop… make it stop…” she said between heaves.

He took a moment to think of the right spell to use, something very gentle but effective in relieving nausea. Concentrating, he attempted to help her, but nothing happened. He didn’t even feel tingles of seidr running through him.Part of him panicked, not knowing what to do to help her without his seidr. He felt exposed, naked, somewhat helpless. Logically, he knew that wasn’t true - far from it, as he did have his godly strength… or at least would have it back soon.Yet, in this moment, as his love asked the smallest task of him, something that he would have likely learned from his mother fairly early in his training, he felt shocked by his inability to soothe her ailment.He silently vowed to work as hard as he could to regain his seidr, to search all the libraries of all the realms to find a way to restore what he had lost. How could he possibly fulfill all the responsibilities he would soon have as a husband and father without it?

“It will pass, darling. We will talk to Eir and find a way to ease your discomfort,” he whispered as he stroked her back, feeling the way her body heaved a few more times before she finally quieted. He wished his mother was still alive. Even Odin, if it meant that Alex and the child would be safe, healthy, and comfortable.

She closed her eyes and let herself be comforted by his words and touches, but couldn’t avoid the tears that were threatening to come. She helped him up from the floor and then brushed her teeth and used the rather tasty Asgardian mouthwash - some kind of licorice-mint - as he held her hips and stood behind her.

“I’m okay,” she said reassuringly, though she could hear the tears coming through in her tone and knew he would as well. It was when he turned her around, wrapped his arms around her and drew her against him that she lost her control and cried. All the anxiety that had built from the moment he was injured seemed to be released all at once.“I was afraid that I’d never hear your voice again. That you’d never know each other. I thought I was losing you and… and…”

“Hush…” Loki kissed her forehead and then pressed her cheek to his chest, holding her firmly. “I feared the same. The thought of leaving you alone almost immediately after learning you would have my child was an excruciating thought.” They stood for another moment before he allowed her to help him back to the ward and into bed. “Please, get back in,” he said when she started to move toward the nearby chair, lifting the blanket to invite her to join him. He took his place behind her and wrapped his arm around her body. “Thank you, Alexandra.”

She glanced at him over her shoulder. “I only got in bed, it’s not like I carried you from the Tower or something.”

“I meant for the hand fasting,” he said, hugging her close. “It was sudden and in poor circumstances and added to the stress of the moment and—“

Alex turned in his arms, resting her hands on his chest as his arm slipped around her again. “I’m happy we did it. I was bound to the man I love, the father of my child, who could only think of us despite his own condition.”

He exhaled with a new sense of relief and leaned in to rest his forehead against hers. “It gave me a great deal of comfort to know that you would be secure, no matter what happened.”

They held each other for a few more minutes, neither wanting to interrupt the peaceful silence that they shared. Loki ran his hand down her side and then stroked her abdomen with the backs of his fingers. “I can’t…” he whispered. A panic rushed through him again as he placed his hand on her body. “I can’t sense anything…” It was one thing to not be able to use complex spells and exert power to alter things, but it was entirely different to be unable to even sense the seidr of others. 

She saw the alarm on his face as he drew it back, his eyes wide with fear and concern as he nudged her onto her back, flattened his palm against her, and tried to focus. He failed to sense the spark he’d felt when they’d discovered she was expecting and his terror was palpable. “It’s okay, Loki. Thor checked us out and said we’re healthy. Eir has been looking out for us, too. You don’t need to worry about that.” Alex watched him visibly calm and relax, but then saw the disappointment on his face.

“I dreamt of reaching out and feeling that little spark…” He could not remember a time when he did not have the steady hum of seidr flowing through him. The absence was jarring. “Come on, little one.”

“Loki, it’s so early, you can’t possibly expect a fetus to have control over their seidr enough to be able to reach out to you.” She listened to him sigh and then felt him shuffle down on the bed so he could rest his head against her body.

“We don’t know either way. Perhaps the child can sense me, but I cannot sense it. Pregnancies were not common occurrences on Asgard given our lifespans, so I have never had the opportunity to observe,” he explained as he happily hugged her body, trying not to pout. “Spare Mother’s _bunnies and bilgesnipes _talk when Thor and I were young and, of course, young mens’ conversations that trended strongly toward the amorous precursors, the topic wasn’t one that came up.”

Alex giggled and looked down at him, running her fingers through his hair. “Bunnies and bilgesnipes? It’s nice to know that other realms have similarly silly idioms for that. Here, it’s birds and bees.” She watched as he stared at her stomach, obviously trying to focus again. 

Loki pressed his forehead against her for a moment, exhaling his frustration away. “We will meet again soon, my little one.” He kissed Alex’s body before shuffling back up to look her in the eyes.

“Ymyr said your seidr is going to take a little while to get back to normal. You were completely drained and the connection needs to restore,” she said, accepting his invitation to curl up in his arms again.

“Who?” he asked, watching Alex softly smile.

“After you lost consciousness, Eir had the head healer from Jotunheim come here to help,” she explained, seeing Loki’s discomfort with the idea. “She saved you, Loki… twice.”

“I am so sorry you had to endure almost losing me twice, love,” he whispered, hugging her tightly.

Alex sat up and looked down at him. “Loki… Ymyr is your older half-sister, the daughter of Laufey and a Midgardian. She is about your size, looks a bit like you, and, yes, she saved you here and now, but she also…”

He sat up, stunned by Alex’s words. “What?”

“Loki…” she said, her voice growing quiet as she gathered his hands into hers. “She took you to the temple to save you from being killed. You weren’t left there to die, you were left there to live. She was there praying for your life the day before and Odin found her and spared her life. When she realized that he wouldn’t kill an innocent girl, she knew that he wouldn’t kill an infant and would take you home to Asgard where you’d have a family, too.”

Loki stared at her, not knowing what to say. Though his origins remained the same, there had been someone who cared for him on Jotunheim. “Bring her here. Now, please.”

Alex took his face in her hands and kissed him tenderly. “I’m having the healers bring you breakfast and I’m going to go change before I bring her back.”

“_Now_… _please_.”

She looked at him once more, seeing the intensity in his eyes. “Okay, I’ll go find her.”

He pressed one hand to hers as it rested on his cheek. “Thank you, Sweetling.”


	19. Family Meeting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some unexpected plot happened and it took a little while to decide on whether I would rewrite or not. Hopefully it works.

After having only gotten back into bed moments earlier, Loki now sat on the side and ran his hands over his face before leaning forward, his elbows on his thighs as he looked at the door.He was about to meet his Jotun _sister_. A sister who had saved his life more than once. He took a deep breath and exhaled, one hand making a casual gesture as he stood up from the bed. When his clothing failed to become something more appropriate for guests and he looked down to see the same soft, dark green pajamas, the sense of panic returned to him.

Going back to his training, he closed his eyes and tried to focus. He tried another spell, something to make the baggy fabric become more fitted and less rumpled - an alteration spell was far simpler than one that would require him to conjure something entirely new. Again, nothing happened. _It wasn’t a fluke, _he thought as he did feel a bit of rage hit him, _it’s gone._

His temper flared. He wanted to hit something or throw something or smash something, but there was nothing in the room that fit the bill, except for the pillows. He grabbed one and threw it across the room, the motion paining him as it stretched his body far more than he probably should have given the circumstances. He winced and growled… and grabbed the other pillow. A moment later, he found himself violently hitting it on the bed as he knelt there, raging.

When Alex opened the door, she found him startled and looking back at her from the bed as soft, downy feathers floated in the air around him, the destroyed pillow in his hands. If she didn’t expect that he would be extremely frustrated about his condition, the sight would have been amusing if not adorable. Especially when one of the feathers landed on his nose before he blew it off. However, the sense of loss and fear in his eyes was overwhelming as he slumped down and winced in pain.

She didn’t know what to say to him, but went to his side and sat down. Whatever rage he may have had in him, she knew that he would never harm her. Immediately after she was settled, still her own pajamas, she realized, he nearly fell forward onto her lap, his chest on her thighs and his lower half splayed out on the bed. She could hear Thor and Ymyr’s voices near the doorway and looked up, raising a hand to let Thor know that they needed a minute. He nodded and closed the door, leaving them in peace for a few minutes.

“You kinda Hulked out of your shirt,” she said softly, seeing the split up the back of his shirt and his pale skin exposed. He made a quietly pained sound in response. “Bad joke?” she asked as she ran her hand up and down his skin, trying to soothe him.

He groaned and turned his head so he could see her. “Dreadful.”

“I’m assuming you’re going to plead self-defense about the pillow,” she said, just as deadpan as his response had been. Her hand continued stroking his back and she watched the way his face twitched and the anger gave way to mild amusement. He was trying very hard not to smile, but he failed

“Why are you making me laugh? This isn’t funny!” he nearly whined before laughing once.

Alex used her other hand to smooth his hair away from his face. “That’s why you need me to make you laugh. I know you, remember? I’m your wife or whatever you call it here.”

Her touch was so comforting and hearing that wondrous word pass her lips was still almost jarringly good. “Yes, that you are - and Asgardians use a number of terms interchangeably, so wife is just as good as any of those if that is what pleases you.” He sighed and pressed his forehead to the bed, his arms extended and his hands near his head. If Alexandra not been there, he would have struck it repeatedly and likely made it join the pillows’ misery, but not now.

“I’m not going to allow you to sulk and rage about your seidr, Loki. It will come back,” she said as her hand gently kneaded his back.

“What if it doesn’t?” He moved his arm so that his hand could rest on her belly.

She could hear the silent, implied question that followed his words. _Will you still want me without it? _“Then you’d still be the intelligent, tender-hearted, snarky, talented, wonderful man that I love and father of my children. We’d get through it together.”

He sighed again, shuffling a bit before he pressed himself up and tugged off the torn shirt. Sitting back on his feet as he knelt on the bed, he pulled her to him and smiled as her arms wrapped around his torso and she rested her head against his chest. “I love you,” he whispered as he felt her lips on his skin.

“I love you, too,” she replied, pecking one more kiss on his chest before pulling away. “I’ll grab you another shirt. Your visitors are outside.”

She got off the bed and felt her cheeks grow pink as she took another look at him. He was still sitting on his heels while on his knees, his green pants riding low on his hips, his familiar pale torso covered in bruises and a very obvious gash on one side that had been closed with the healers’ magic. One of his hands slipped through his somewhat greasy black hair before he let the waves slip back down around his face. Even recovering from near death and needing a shower, he still looked handsome.

He glanced her way and smirked softly, catching her staring. “The guests, darling?” he said, watching as Alex blushed a little more before stepping over to a nearby closet where linens were kept for the ward. As she went about finding another shirt, he checked the gash on his side, wincing as he pressed lightly over the area. He wondered briefly whether the people he’d gotten out of harm’s way had survived.

“I’m amazed by how fast you heal,” Alex said as she brought a fresh set of clothes over and placed it at his side. “It was terrifying to see when they brought you here.”

He stood up and hugged her. “Hush, love. I’ll change. Go get the others.” He kissed her forehead again before letting her go. Although he couldn’t feel his seidr and he couldn’t sense the child, he could feel a very palpable bond between the two of them that was based in an entirely different kind of magic. He pulled on the shirt, smiling to himself as he watched her move away.

Alex walked to the doors and opened one of them a bit. “He’s about ready,” she said as she found Thor and Ymyr talking about something to do with the realms. “How are you both?”

“Sister,” Thor said with one of his usual grins, leaning forward to kiss her forehead. “I am well. Ymyr was telling me of the time she was permitted to train in Vanaheim. She read some of the spell books my mother wrote before she was wed.”

“Small world,” Alex said with a smile. She saw the blank look on their faces. “It means that it’s amazing how worlds can be so big with so many people in them, and yet paths cross and lives meet in pleasantly unexpected ways.”

Ymyr smiled in response. “Time is woven, after all.”

“Did you get enough rest?” Alex asked her. Somehow, the woman looked rather pristine. _Must be their Jotun genes, _she thought, seeing another way that Ymyr and Loki were similar. She watched the way that Ymyr hesitated and raised an eyebrow.

“I did. The guest rooms are very comfortable. The King made sure that the temperature was lowered a little, very thoughtful.” She smiled at Alex again, motioning her toward the door. “But I would like to properly meet my brother… _our _brother,” she added, looking to Thor.

“Indeed,” the blond man said, letting her enter after Alex. He may or may hot have let his eyes slip down over her body a few times before closing the door behind them.

Loki had changed his pants and donned the shoes that had been left nearby while Alex chatted at the doorway. Once the others stepped into the room, he was standing behind one of the chairs at the plain table that was nearby, his hands nervously gripping the upholstery as he saw the woman. Then, it hit him. Alexandra had been quite accurate in her description. She was tall and lean, with the same long black hair and a very similar face, slightly softer from her supposedly Midgardian heritage, where his was slightly sharper. He felt so stunned that he stepped closer rather than waiting for her to join him.He saw Alexandra mouth the words ‘_Be Nice’ _from where she was standing with Thor, a ways behind the woman.

“I am Loki of Asgard—“ he said before he was interrupted.

  
“and Jotunheim.” Ymyr replied with a slight smile, walking closer to him. “I am Princess Ymyr Laufeysdottir, Prince Loki. I am the Royal Healer of Jotunheim, Priestess of the Ice Temple, and… your sister."

He swallowed at the words and watched her respectfully genuflect before rising again. However, before he could speak, she suddenly hugged him. He wasn’t quite sure what to do, but managed to lightly hug her in return. He looked over her shoulder and saw Thor silently chuckling.

“You’ll have to excuse our brother, Ymyr,” Thor said as he walked over, Alex on his arm. “Loki is rarely at a loss for words and he has never been the overtly physically affectionate sort. This is all a bit overwhelming for him.”

Loki winced as Thor’s hand patted his back a bit too hard. He pulled back from Ymyr and noticed that her eyes were even more crystalline than his. For a moment, he was able to understand what Alexandra had said about finding his appearance appealing when he took on his Jotun form. The woman before him was rather striking. “Come, sit,” he said, gesturing toward the table. “Thor, would you have the staff bring tea? Perhaps something light to eat as well.”

“Of course,” Thor said, winking at Alex as he turned around.

“Sweetling, would you join us?” Loki asked, gesturing to the chair at his other side as he took his seat.

“Absolutely,” Alex said as she pulled out the chair and took a seat. “Have you had those little tarts with the little round berries yet?” she asked Ymyr casually, wanting to break the ice a bit more and get them talking rather than staring at each other. “They are _amazing._”

He watched Ymyr look at Alex quizzically and could see some of his own expressions there. “Raudrberries, love. We were able to save quite a bit of the seed archive from Asgard and they seem to do well here,” he explained, looking toward his sister.

“The only person that eats more of them than me is Loki,” Alex added. “They’re his favorite and he has a massive sweet tooth.”

“I like them too,” Ymyr said. “They are a luxury on Jotunheim, grown in the royal greenhouse. I may have brought them back from Vanaheim without permission and then hid them in the underbrush of the garden of healing herbs.”

Loki chuckled.

“You liked the juice, even then,” she added, watching to see what his reaction would be.

He stopped laughing. Clearly, she was not one to dawdle when it came to important discussions. “Alexandra told me that you… you were the one that…” he said, losing his words as he looked down at his hands. “You saved me.” He felt Alex’s hand gently squeeze his thigh and remain there, the gesture comforting him enough to continue. “Before I ask you more about it all, I want to thank you for that. It must have been difficult.”

Ymyr reached across the table and held onto his hand. “Everything at that time was difficult, but I was relieved to know that you would survive. Shall I tell you the story?”

With a nod, he asked her to continue.

“I helped at your birth,” she said, the slight tinge of sadness hitting her. “The Queen survived long enough to see you and hold you. The light in her eyes in that moment… I had never seen them so blue.” She paused for a moment, remembering the few peaceful minutes that she had watched the mother and son. “When she handed you off to me she… she… just slipped away, as if you had been the last thing binding her to life.”

Alex reached over and took hold of Loki’s hand. There was nothing that could be said in such a situation, so she remained quiet. She could see the pain under his calm exterior, the sense of loss of someone he’d never even had the chance to know and all that could have been.

Loki stared at his hands, his lips briefly curling up in recognition of Alex’s touch. He processed what Ymyr said, the Queen’s weakness from carrying him, her death, and… her _blue_ eyes? “My mother was not Jotun?” he asked, looking at his sister. “Wasn’t Laufey’s Queen Jotun? I am quite sure that I recall the historical accounts of the age saying that she was Jotun.”

Ymyr reached over and touched his arm. “His _second _was. Your mother was first.”

“Then what am I? _Who_ am I?” he asked. The fact that he had to ask these questions again took his mind back to the devastating realizations he made years ago that had triggered the cascade of misery that had befallen him and countless others. “Who was _she_?”

“We should discuss this another time. When you are stronger, I think. You need rest.” Ymyr said, getting up from her seat.

Alex and Thor exchanged looks as they saw the signs of Loki’s temper turning. His posture grew stiff and his face grew sterner as he took in his sister’s words. Thor dropped a teaspoon “accidentally” with the poor idea that it would draw his brother’s thoughts away from the topic at hand. Alex grabbed Thor’s forearm with her other hand. It was obvious that he was bubbling over with questions and wouldn’t keep quiet forever.

“Thor, do you think you could escort me to Eir?” she said, looking at her watch. “I am overdue for the supplemental potion that she wanted me to take for extra nutrients and to take care of the nausea…”

“She did?” Thor asked, getting a slight kick in the shin from Alex. He winced.

“Sweetheart,” she said as she leaned over to Loki and kissed his cheek, “is that alright?”

Loki knew what she was doing and was simultaneously grateful that she knew he wanted privacy and upset that she was leaving in the middle of this revelation. “Yes, of course, love,” he whispered in response, patting her hand as it briefly rested on his shoulder.

Alex couldn’t help herself and bent back down, turning his face so she could softly kiss his lips. “You are Loki, Crown Prince of New Asgard, God of Mischief and Chaos, Husband of Alexandra,and Father of … this one…” she said, gesturing to her body. “Don’t you forget it.”

He opened his eyes, finding hers looking back at him. The certainty in her eyes grounded him. Touching her cheek, he pecked her lips again. “I won’t.” He watched as his brother let Alex take his arm and the two walked out of the room.

“Quite the diplomat.” Ymyr glanced toward the door, making sure it closed before she spoke. “Are you sure you wish to know?” she asked as she looked out the window for another moment before turning to face him.“Thor...” she started, realizing it was too familiar. “The King explained how difficult it was for you to grapple with learning of Laufey.”

Loki thought for a moment before gesturing to the chair. He poured each of them a cup of tea and slid the plate of little tarts between them. “It was, but I am no longer the same person I was then, thankfully.” He sipped his tea as he watched her sit down.

She had a bite of a tart before resuming their conversation. “A rebellious youth, at the time,” she answered, looking to Loki’s face briefly before eating another bite. “Much like me, but fully royal in her own right.”

His brow furrowed, realizing that he and his sister both seemed to speak in riddles when the straight truth was too much to let out all at once. “A Vanir princess?” he questioned, setting down his tea.The silence between her responses was starting to irritate him.

Ymyr took a sip of tea, then pushed the cup and saucer aside to pull his hands into hers. “An Asgardian princess, Loki.”

Loki stared at her. He knew he heard what she had said, but yet… it made no sense. “That cannot be. It’s impossible. Odin’s only daughter was Hela and she was imprisoned for thousands of years before my time.”

“Mostly,” she remarked.

“You said that my mother died after my birth!” he responded, his voice growing more unruly.

“I said she _slipped away_,” Ymyr corrected. “I watched with my own eyes. One minute she was there, holding you. The next, she’d handed you to me and then… it was as if she faded into nothing.”

“This is preposterous!” he spat, rising from his seat as he shook her hands off of his. “Odin imprisoned her in Hel! She didn’t get day trips to Jotunheim for good behavior!”

“It was no day trip,” Ymyr said, getting up and distantly following him as he walked the room. “She escaped and was with Laufey for at least a hundred years.”

“You mean to tell me that Hela escaped _Odin’s powers_ that trapped her _in Hel_, sought out Odin’s enemy _during_ _wartime_, became his _queen_, birthed his _heir_, and then what?” he said, almost shouting by the end of it. “She went traipsing back to Hel of her own accord? To what? Sit around and wait for Ragnarok?! Why would she ever go running to Laufey in the first place?! None of this makes sense!”

“She had already trespassed against Odin once. What better way to get revenge than to defect and assist the enemy?” Ymyr mused, picking up a tart from the plate on the table as she walked past. “Of course, she did not contemplate that she and Laufey would come to care for each other as they did.”

“You must be joking,” Loki said, one hand on his hip as the other swiped down his face. “This is ludicrous.”

“Brother, she was Queen for nearly 100 years before you were born. She was distraught when she learned she was carrying, terrified that she would be unable to conceal her presence on Jotunheim if her seidr flared.” She nibbled on the tart as she sat down on a nearby couch and relaxed. If Loki was going to explode with rage, he would have done it already.

“Fine, let’s say you’re right and she was my mother,” he said, pacing. “Tell me why she _left_ if she _loved _Laufey so much. Why did she leave _me_ there!?”

“I was not lying when I said that she had grown weak during her pregnancy,” Ymyr said calmly. “I believe that she knew that you would share her abilities, so she was channeling her seidr to you to strengthen yours. She knew the position that you would be in - never fully accepted in either realm, yet royalty in both. She also knew that the two of you being in one place would put you both in greater danger from Odin.”

Loki huffed and sank down onto the couch next to her, head tilted back and body spread out. “Odin never knew of her little adventure?” he sighed.

Ymyr turned to him, resting her hand on his shoulder. “No, he never knew that she had escaped. I do not know how she did it and I do not know if she immediately returned to Hel or went elsewhere first. All I know is that Odin did not know who your mother actually was, but assumed that it was Laufey’s second queen, who was a lady in waiting to Hela at the time. Many assumed that she was his first.”

He looked at her, trying to gauge whether she was lying. There were no signs of deceit. “Then my adoptive sister was actually my mother, my adoptive brother is actually my uncle, and my adoptive parents was actually my grandparents.”

“Yes.”

“And my uncle and I fought my mother in a battle in which she died.” He groaned with the emotional strain of it all.

Ymyr sighed “She knew that the odds of a good future for the both of you together were far slimmer than your odds were by yourself. She didn’t know what would happen - not on Jotunheim and not on Asgard. Be happy you are alive.”

“Alive to do what, exactly? Perhaps I should tell Alexandra to flee before the child is born,” he said with a defeated groan. “If I’ve managed to end _both_ of my parents and my grandparents,” he said, wincing as he moved on the couch, “the Norns will probably see fit to have me extinguish a different generation.”

It was as he muttered the words that the door to the chambers opened and Alex peeked inside. “Did you want more time?” she asked, seeing the resigned look on his face. She could sense that Thor was getting antsy. “Would you stop?” she whispered over her shoulder at him.

“We left when it was getting interesting!” Thor tried to whisper.

Loki grumbled. “Let the oaf in…” he said, his body still spread over half the couch.

“Soooo?!?” Thor asked, not really grasping the mood of the situation as he almost flopped into one of the large chairs across from the couch where Loki and Ymyr were sitting.

Ignoring Thor, Loki watched as Alex closed the door and joined them, surprised to find that she’d managed to change into an Asgardian dress somewhere in the few minutes she’d been gone. His eyes looked to the floor as he remembered that moment in the elevator, the amazement he felt when he sensed the faint flicker of seidr that was not his own. He saw Thor decimating the remaining sweets on the table in his peripheral vision, but steadied his gaze on Alex. Part of him wanted to turn her away, to tell her to run and keep near Stark and the others, and to never let him near the child. The thought that he could be doomed to destroy either of them weighed on his mind.

“Everything okay?” Alex said as she stepped closer. With each step, the answer became more obvious. She leaned down and kissed him gently, lingering until she felt him respond to her and engage her lips a second time. Physical affection usually grounded him enough to come to his senses. It hadn’t taken very long for her to learn that trick.

Deep down, he was a greedy man, one who refused to give up the people and things he loved most. He sat up and put his arm around her waist before encouraging her to sit on his knee. This was who he wanted to be - the man who had found peace and a family of his own.

“Would you both give us some time alone?” he asked the others, sinking into the comfort that came from the touch of Alex’s hand on his cheek. He closed his eyes and breathed in the scent of her, somehow reminiscent of snow blossoms that Frigga had kept in an enchanted section of the garden that supported plants of the colder realms.

“Of course, Brother,” Ymyr said, rising from her seat and heading toward the door. “I believe the King was going to show me some of the sites of New Asgard.” When she saw Thor about to speak, she gestured to him from the door and he finally left the room with her.


End file.
